Monday, June 29, 2026
Government norms for ranking vocational institutes are shortsighted, even harmful By RN Bhaskar Ever since the Union Budget got announced barely a month ago, there has been a lot of buzz around the offices of the Directorate General for Vocational Education. ...
http://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/india-begins-transforming-itself-but-r-n-bhaskar/958267 India transforms, but . . . "The king is extremely cultured but.... The courtiers were charming, my stay as a guest of honour immensely comfortable, but... The music in the king's court was exquisite, but... The ladies were most beautiful, but... The country was...
http://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/the-government-should-not-be-trusted-with-banks/1198570 The government is responsible for bank NPAs — By RN Bhaskar | Jan 04, 2018 08:34 am A seminal document, that CARE Ratings brought out on December 27, 2017, showed how precariously perched India’s banks are. In that list (see chart alongside) CARE Ratings...
http://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/demonetisation-short-term-brilliance-long-term-pain/973092 Policy Watch Will demonetisation work? Or will it erode the rupee? Rn bhaskar On the night of 8 November, Prime minister Modi dropped a bombshell. He announced through a national TV address that the government was demonetising Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes from...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-can-africa-become-the-new-market-to-stump-india   (The entire series can be found at http://www.asiaconverge.com/2021/05/agenda-for-the-government-2021-series/) Is it strike #3 for India’s position as an attractive market? Will Africa trounce India? I deal in facts, not forecasting the future. That's crystal ball stuff. That doesn't work.                 -- Peter...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/the-case-for-bullion-banking-in-india Will the government allow bullion banking in India? RN Bhaskar  --  26 December 2019 India has been myopic about so many things.  One of them, tragically, is gold.  It has forgotten to exploit its own mines,  It gave out licences to...
Fiurst appeared at https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/a-smarter-cheaper-path-to-clean-air-affordable-power  Power generation rules must adapt to ground realities The Government’s recent decision to ease the blanket requirement for flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems across its coal-fired power fleet is not a retreat from environmental responsibility. On the...
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-india-loses-focus-on-human-capital Human capital is what India ignores to its peril RN Bhaskar Quite often, it is what the government does not want to talk about that defines a nation than what the government trumpets. This is true about the Pegasus affair.  About...
http://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/pending-cases-and-political-criminality/694252 Pending cases - how the mafia gains legitimacy There is one question most social scientists have been grappling with for ages – what is the difference between a government and the mafia? After all, both collect protection money, though the...
09 February 2026 US trade deal -- a sellout? By RN Bhaskar and Sakeena Bari Sayyed Image: Bloomberg A month ago, before the US trade deal with India -- we actually believed that India had rediscovered its spine.  This was because India had...