National Council on Infrastructure

'Our children have only hunger written in their destiny'

Rediff.com8 Oct 2016

In villages in Palghar district -- in Mumbai's backyard -- more than 254 children have died from malnutrition.

'India, China need breakthrough in economic, border issues'

Rediff.com17 Sep 2014

'India and China have to make concrete progress with regard to the border issue, addressing the trade deficit, and facilitating people-to-people interactions. This has to happen in the next two, three years.' China expert Tansen Sen tells Sheela Bhatt/Rediff.com how India and China can take their relations to the next level.

Good/Bad/Ugly: What will Obama's visit be like for India?

Rediff.com22 Jan 2015

'The real test will be in defence-related deals, for instance the Javelin anti-tank missile: Is the US willing to co-develop something with India, on terms that will support the 'Make in India' initiative? Is there defence technology transfer? Or will it dump old junk on India?' asks Rajeev Srinivasan.

'TN's finances are a mess, it's not going to be easy'

Rediff.com19 May 2016

'We have about Rs 4 lakh crore debt on a state budget of about Rs 1.5 lakh crore.' 'We are in a debt two-and-a-half times our annual budget,' says the banker who would have been Tamil Nadu's finance minister had the DMK won.

'Maoists ONLY seek a marriage of convenience with anti-India groups'

Rediff.com16 Sep 2013

Indian intelligence agencies have often claimed that left-wing extremists are trying to make inroads in the militancy-hit regions of north-east to foment further unrest. But Jaideep Saikia, noted terrorism and conflict analyst, claims, "People who speak of Maoism taking roots in the north-east have not read history".

'For achche din, give us at least a year'

Rediff.com4 Jul 2014

'Understand one thing, if you want immediately and magically that things should become cheap, it's not possible. It's a long-term policy.' 'Inflation is linked to the storage system and with the production system. Whenever production rises, prices go lower. So if we store when the prices are low and release them when prices rise, prices can be maintained.' 'The problem is that in our country fruits and vegetables worth Rs 110,000 crore go to waste as they rot. And grains worth Rs 85,000 crore rot. So the storage system is another big reason for inflation.' Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in an exclusive interaction with Sheela Bhatt/Rediff.com