2023

by Prof S S Sangwan *
Vision and Priorities
This Budget presented on February 1, 2023, by Hon’ble FM, at the outset clarifies that it hopes to “build on the foundation laid in the previous Budgets”. As per FM, the budget is the Vision for Amrit Kaal i.e next 25 years in which the economy will be technology-driven and knowledge-based with strong public finances and a financial sector. The Budget identifies the seven priorities viz., Inclusive Development, Reaching the Last Mile, (…)

* India 75 Years of Republic - Rise of Sectarian Nationalism | Ram Puniyani
* Pathan the blockbuster movie fuels jingoism | Jawed Naqvi
* Union Budget 2023-24 & its Underlying Strategy | Arun Kumar
* Remembering Martin Luther King’s trip to India | Archishman Raju
* Intimate Authoritarianism | Lee Shevek

Letter to the readers, Mainstream, Feb 11, 2023
6th February 2023 saw a series of high-intensity earthquakes in Southern Turkey and Northern Syria causing enormous devastation and loss of life — already about 23000 dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. A large number of countries have rushed to relief and this is a process that will last long. Observers say the economic costs might be some 10 percent of Turkey’s GDP. Questions are being asked in Turkey over the sheer scale of damage in (…)

by Ram Puniyani
Abstract:
India’s struggle for Independence was an inclusive movement. The underlying values of this mass movement were democracy and secularism. “India: Nation in the making” summed up the transition taking place, the transition which not only included the modern industries, administrations, education, Judicial system along with dalits and women taking to education, modern education. The values inherent in this, one of the greatest mass movements in the World were (…)

Much before India’s first prime minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru died at 74 on 27 May, 1964, the common refrain of political analysts was ‘After Nehru Who’ or After Nehru what, presuming that India would face chaos due to political vacuum after Nehru.
This was discussed more seriously by western commentators, banking on Morarji Desai succeeding Nehru to tailor India’s internal and external policies to the benefit of the United States of America (USA) and its western European satellites. (…)

by Jawed Naqvi
MOVIE actor Nasiruddin Shah was promoting his book at a function in Delhi when his brother in the front row rattled him with a simple question. Why was it that in his recent movie, the terrorists were all Muslim? Why does this happen in far too many Hindi movies? Shah, himself a Muslim, mumbled something to blame the script. Park the thought and consider Shahrukh Khan’s newly released movie Pathaan, a hugely successful venture moneywise. It’s the story of a Rambo-like Indian (…)

Natural disasters or economic collapse, nothing seems to induce most Sri Lankans into divorcing the dragging ethnic tremors that have contributed to making the once seemingly prosperous island nation virtually impoverished. It is no wonder that the country celebrated the 75th year of its independence from colonial rule amid a crippling political divide and unending uncertainty on how to recover from the serious economic mess Sri Lankans find themselves in, The situation is so grave (…)

Introduction
Any budget is complex consisting of many things of varying importance. Often, people focus on things of their direct interest but miss the wider implications that affect them indirectly and may undo any benefit they may get directly. Thus, it is not only important to look at the trees but also the forest. So, it is important to analyse the Macroeconomic strategy of the budget.
Further, the budget is based on three things. First, analysis of the current economic situation, (…)

February 9, 2023
While most of the budget discussion is understandably concentrated on the financial year ahead of us, it is important to have an understanding also of the previous year’s experiences. An important aspect of this relates to significant cuts made in the allocations of various union ministries and departments of crucial importance during the previous financial year 2022-23, with hardly any public consultation or debate preceding this, or reasons of significant cuts being (…)

by Atul Sarma and Shyam Sunder *
Budget 2023-24 has been presented in the face of multiple challenges: slowing global growth, elevated core inflation and food prices, and looming recession in advanced countries. At another level, this being the last full budget before the general election in 2024 as also approaching election in nine states has its temptation to make it as voter friendly as possible.
Nevertheless, the budget has restrained itself in offering any direct freebie. It has (…)