Bogus Aadhaar cards imperil both Census and elections
RN Bhaskar
Shri EAS Sarma has responded to this article by writing to the Election Commission. You can find his letter at https://asiaconverge.com/2023/04/india-elections-under-threat/
To appreciate this article better, it is important to take a...
The government is keen on strengthening Aadhaar. That will allow it to effectively implement its Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) programme across the country.
But there is a gaping hole in the entire process. India has been counting only its living....
https://www.dnaindia.com/business/report-policy-watch-india-splurges-51-of-water-it-could-have-otherwise-saved-1995733
India splurges over half the water it gets
Monday, 16 June 2014 - 6:26am IST | Agency: DNA | R N Bhaskar
If the next wars would be fought for water, it is time to look at how countries manage their...
R N Bhaskar
23 March 2015
Like most stories, it has a moral too. It is particularly relevant for all those who believe in “Make in India”, in the basic minimum dignity that any Indian must enjoy, in affordable housing, and...
The Garuda and the Asiatic Lion are rapidly displacing the elephant
By R.N.Bhaskar
Image generated using https://deepai.org/machine-learning-model/text2img
There was a time when the elephant – India’s mascot for the world – had an impressive stature. It was present everywhere. It was a...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-india-could-learn-a-lot-from-post-covid-19-spending-patterns-in-china
India must be forward looking, not defensive, as is evident frompost-Covid-19 spending-patterns
RN Bhaskar – 13 August, 2020
After a country has been hit by a pandemic, how should people spend money? Different cultures spend money differently. There are countries where...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/agnipath-indias-trial-by-fire
Agnipath: India's trial by fire?
RN Bhaskar
There are riots on the streets in many states (https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/violent-protest-continues-over-agnipath-scheme-in-bihar). In a bid to douse the fires, the government increased the recruitment age from 21 to 23 (https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/agnipath-scheme-upper-age-limit-for-recruitment-process-for-2022-increased-to-23-years). But this may not help. The...
Economy indicators defy GST growth
By RN Bhaskar
Image generated through https://deepai.org/machine-learning-model/text2img
On 1 June 2025, the government announced that its GST collections had climbed 10% year-on-year (https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2022459).
Illusion of strength and health
It said that the GDP growth was “driven by a strong...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/doles-freebies-elections-and-the-absence-of-accountability/1496631
Lots more doles mean much more corruption
RN Bhaskar April 4, 2019
The dice was rolled two years ago when the present government permitted loan waivers in Uttar Pradesh. The fire was bound to spread. But even before that, the concept...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-most-indicators-flashing-red-theres-trouble-ahead
India's intolerance towards minorities spells trouble
RN Bhaskar
Things are falling apart. There's trouble ahead.
A former Enforcement Directorate official lobbies to join a political party immediately after retirement. He is in the company of many other law enforcement officers who have...
