The biggest challenge on policy front is the fight against the perception that a small number of big corporations do cosy deals with the government.
'I get enormous pleasure from seeing the uplift of an underprivileged or poor person.' 'I feel elated when I walk on the street and see someone who pushes a handcart talking on a cell phone.' A revealing glimpse from Peter Casey's The Story of Tata: 1968 to 2021.
A cut in government spending would come at the cost of growth.
'Don't be surprised if the Census forms come with a caste box.' 'I will be surprised if it doesn't. It will be a point conceded to Rahul Gandhi and his allies,' asserts Shekhar Gupta. The BJP machine could take all 3 in its stride, but this election has changed that, notes Shekhar Gupta.
Going by its past experience of differences between the central bank and the finance ministry, the government might prefer a person who could bridge this gap.
'We are going to need more technical people in government.' 'You can't expect a generalist to understand the complicated world of financial engineering.' 'I regret to say that most of our politicians have no competence to deal with these things. Nor is there a willingness to learn.'
No government can 'ignore inclusiveness in a democracy', Montek Singh Ahluwalia tells Anjuli Bhargava.
While about 8,000 people are in the long list of invitees, the select list features 506 A-listers, including prominent politicians, leading industrialists, top film stars, sportspersons, diplomats, judges and high priests.
In his book, Backstage: The Story Behind India's High Growth Years, Montek Singh Ahluwalia accepted the Act "increased the cost of land to financially unsustainable levels ... and made it easier for anyone who wants to stop a project to use the various consultative processes required under the law to delay matters".
Indian Industry leaders are elated that the Congress government has returned to power. Here is a wishlist of Cabinet ministers.
The Cabinet's decision to auction 3G spectrum in January next year will give a fillip to investments in port, power, telecom and roads in the next 12-18 months, deputy Planning Commission chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said.
Ahluwalia's assessment of economic growth is marginally higher than 6.3 per cent projected by the Commission earlier.
The 'Pran Pratishtha' of the idol of Ram Lalla -- the childhood form of Lord Ram -- will be attended by people from all walks of life, including representatives of major spiritual and religious sects of the country and of various tribal communities and prominent personalities.
There is a need for tax reforms in the country in a bolder way, Singh said.
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia says Commerce Minister Kamal Nath had warned him in advance that he was going to criticise the apex planning body in public.
Besides undertaking the routine work, Ahluwalia entrusted the task of revamping the Commission to new member Arun Maira, formerly with the Boston Consultancy Group. "We cannot work is silos. We need better lateral inputs," Ahluwalia had said at a recent internal meeting of the commission.
There were reports that some Commission officials were against the Rajan panel's suggestion to replace Gadgil- Mukherjee formula with Rajan Committee's Multi Dimensial Index for allocation funds to states.
According to sources, Ahluwalia and Rangarajan separately briefed Singh about the economic situation.
'The Congress saw Rahul as the natural leader of the party and wanted him to take a larger role'
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has said agriculture growth in the country cannot double without the involvement of the corporate sector.
The government, which had set a reserve price of Rs 14,000 crore for pan-India spectrum broadly drawing from the basis used by Comptroller and Auditor General in calculating the loss in the previous sale in 2008, managed a meagre Rs 9,407.64 crore (Rs 94.07 billion) in the auction that lasted barely two days.
Aviation Minister Praful Patel's outburst against Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia is perhaps not difficult to understand since most people think it was actually Patel who should have been keeping an eye on the delays at the Delhi airport.
Modernisation of agricultural marketing is important, says Montek Singh Ahluwalia
The committee is expected to submit its report soon.
A report by a senior official in the Planning Commission has said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is heading towards bankruptcy, as its debt is set to increase five times in the next three years.
No comments could be obtained from the spokespersons of either Reliance Industries Limited or Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.
His statement came against the backdrop of a controversy kicked off by his email to Ahluwalia.
Broad convergence on GST rollout in NDC meet.
"The rest of the world should pass a motion of thanks to India for keeping its emission at a level which actually is below the level required to achieve climate sustainability," says Montek Singh Ahluwalia, a key member of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's economic team.
This was announced at the Indo-US Economic Cooperation conference held on Friday.
Even though present times were fraught with challenges, there is still inherent, vast and untapped opportunity in India, concludes the 10th India Business Conference at Columbia Business School.
This is more than double the money that the state got during the Xth plan.
No one can capture an inch of Indian land till the Narendra Modi government is in power, Home Minister Amit Shah said Tuesday and claimed the actual reason behind the Congress disrupting Lok Sabha proceedings was not the clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers but a question on the cancellation of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.
Rajasthan's BJP Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Monday differed on which Union government was behind the expressway project in the state.
To defuse the crisis over appointment of 'foreign' experts in the Planning Commission, its Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said he would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and find a solution shortly.
Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on Tuesday indicated that the government would increase petrol, diesel and LPG prices, but also cut duties in a bid to contain the impact of surge in international oil prices.\n\n
The weapon carrying security personnel pushed journalists, who retaliated with more pushes and shoves.
Coming out strongly in favour of providing visas on arrival to tourists, Planning Commission ceputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Friday extended all support to the tourism ministry and said both would jointly take it up with the concerned minis
