Policy Watch

https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/ailing-airlines-victim-of-the-governments-meddling-hand/1531739 Airlines become victims of the government’s meddling hand RN Bhaskar May 23, 2019 By now, almost every industry analyst has begun to write-off Jet Airways.  Jet had big dreams. It had benefitted from many favourable government policy decisions – right from...

https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-what-to-look-out-for-in-budget-202 Budget 2020 might be an eyeweash without these changes RN Bhaskar  --  30 January 2020 This article appears on these pages just a day before the budget.  It is too late to suggest what the government should do.  But it is...

https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/two-measures-that-could-empower-marginal-farmers-land-lease-and-fpos Land lease and FPOs could benefit marginal farmers RN Bhaskar -- 15 October, 2020 Time and again, new numbers pop up, reconfirming an old truth – that India’s farmers are in distress.  Especially small farmers.  A set of figures that is...

https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/india-may-be-pushing-a-wrong-trade-policy India's shrinking trade volumes are worrying signals RN Bhaskar Government spokesmen have been crowing about the amazing measures that the government  has introduced to ensure an economic revival. Last week, D Subbarao, former RBI governor, went on record stating that India’s...

https://www.freepressjournal.in/editors-picks/the-chimera-of-affordable-housing/1448875 Is the government serious about affordable housing? RN Bhaskar -- 31 January 2019 Time it was, and what a time it was, it was A time of innocence, a time of confidences Simon & Garfunkel, Broken ends Fifty years is almost a life-time...

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/analysis/policy-watch-the-spectre-of-corruption-rises-grows-larger-and-is-fed-by-indian-politics Corruption grows larger, economy and legislation take a back seat RN Bhaskar In January 2020, alarm bells were already ringing.  India had s slipped from #78 in ranking on corruption last year to #80. The ranking was on the Corruption Perceptions...

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/shouldnt-india-issue-a-travel-advisory-against-trips-to-the-us-4916171.html Coronavirus and other epidemics: Shouldn’t India issue a travel advisory against trips to the US? RN Bhaskar  --  6 Feb 2020 First, a caveat.  The author is no authority on viruses, and has based his arguments on the basis of material...

https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/iip-confession-time-and-for-atonement/1526942 Sins of commission and omission find reflection in the latest IIP figures RN Bhaskar – 16 May 2019 For months the government has stonewalled criticisms about job creation and economic growth. But now there is a grudging admission that economic growth...

https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/a-shrinking-middle-class-could-roil-india-badly Shrinking middle class, warped policies, could hurt India badly RN Bhaskar The writing was on the wall.  Poverty is on the march.  All the slogans about a resurgent India, self-reliance had begun to sound a bit stale, irrelevant, even distasteful. Poverty triumphs...