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/can-gst-actually-promote-a-cashless-economy/1459489
GST can even encourage cash transactions
RN Bhaskar February 14, 2019
There’s a restaurant in Ballard Estate in Mumbai which is frequented by many upper middle-class customers. It is one of the few organised sector restaurants that refuses to accept payment...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/policy-watch-budget-2021-is-a-mixed-bag-with-too-many-causes-for-alarm
Budget 2021 is not really about Atma Nirbhar Bharat
RN Bhaskar -- 05 February 2021
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All the Budget 2021 articles can be found at http://www.asiaconverge.com/2021/02/budget-2021-series/
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First, there are some very good things about the budget. Note, all the figures discussed here have...
http://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/finally-cruise-tourism-has-dawned-on-india-r-n-bhaskar/1129172
The dawn of cruise tourism in India
— By RN Bhaskar | Aug 31, 2017 07:33 am
The work actually began two years before August 8, 2017, when Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for shipping, ports and roads, unveiled his plans for cruise...
http://www.freepressjournal.in/r-n-bhaskar-policy-watch-liberate-temples-from-government-control/756036
Policy Watch
Temple trusts hold the key to social harmony
Rabid Hindutva groups have been espousing the “protection” of Hindu values in all sorts of clumsy ways – from beef bans to ghar wapsi. In fact, if these groups really want...
http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-the-cow-jumps-over-the-moon-1810578
The cow jumps over the moon
Wednesday, 13 March 2013 - 10:25am IST | Place: Mumbai | Agency: dna
India enjoys a major advantage over other countries – it has the largest cattle population in the world. This was partly due...
http://www.freepressjournal.in/labour-pains-that-threaten-the-government/
Labour pains that threaten the government
— By R N Bhaskar | Oct 15, 2015 02:53 am
The stakes for the government at the centre are growing higher by each passing month. The spectre of unemployment looms larger with each passing month. Almost...
27 April 2026
Solutions require political resolve
By RN Bhaskar and Sakeena Bari Sayyed
Image: Copilot
India is in grave trouble. Dogs are baying for the government’s blood. Ten years of self-aggrandisement have resulted in a situation where India is now being marginalised. ...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-what-the-fm-did-not-announce
Policy watch
To ease economic distress, the country needs demand revival, not mere credit guarantees
RN Bhaskar
News is made when you do something great. But news is also made when you do something stupid, or something that looks like sensible action,...
Power generation is as critical to humans as water, education, and healthcare. The government has goofed badly on all these front
At first glance, India has done quite impressively on the power generation front. Statistics from the Central Electricity...
