News for 'School of Public Policy'

China's new Covid cases at record high; Beijing resorts to community lockdown

China's new Covid cases at record high; Beijing resorts to community lockdown

Rediff.com24 Nov 2022

Doggedly persisting with its much-criticised zero-Covid policy, China has slipped deeper into the coronavirus quagmire as it reported a record 31,444 infections on Thursday with many of its cities, including Beijing, resorting to community lockdowns to stem the virus amid worsening wintery weather.

Lant Pritchett on what ails India

Lant Pritchett on what ails India

Rediff.com31 Mar 2010

'The capability of the Indian State to implement programmes and policies is weak -- and in many domains it is obviously not improving. In police, tax collection, education, health, power, water supply -- in nearly every routine service -- there is rampant absenteeism, indifference, incompetence, and corruption,' says Professor Lant Pritchett.

Biocon chief on why India's varsities aren't 'global'

Biocon chief on why India's varsities aren't 'global'

Rediff.com18 Mar 2014

In an interview with Business Standard, Mazumdar-Shaw spells out her plans for the institution over coming years.

'I am not the target, my leader KCR is'

'I am not the target, my leader KCR is'

Rediff.com23 Mar 2023

'He is exposing the failings of the BJP, which is rankling the party.'

Kejriwal-LG meet on Friday called off for 3rd time in a row

Kejriwal-LG meet on Friday called off for 3rd time in a row

Rediff.com1 Sep 2022

Amid escalating tensions between the AAP dispensation and the Lieutenant Governor's office, the weekly meeting of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and LG V K Saxena will not be held this Friday, the third time in a row.

Why Shooting Rani's Next Was Challenging

Why Shooting Rani's Next Was Challenging

Rediff.com2 Mar 2023

'Rani made it very clear when she signed the film that she would shoot only during her daughter's summer vacation so as not to disturb her role as a real life mother.'

U21Global lines up India spread

U21Global lines up India spread

Rediff.com7 Dec 2006

U21Global, the Singapore-based online graduate school, plans to expand its reach in India by launching a series of management degree courses specific to the country.

Green tea helps you live longer

Green tea helps you live longer

Rediff.com14 Sep 2006

The researchers found no significant association between green tea consumption and death from cancer. There were weak or neutral relationships between black tea or oolong tea and mortality.

NCERT textbook row: Academics slam name withdrawal 'spectacle'

NCERT textbook row: Academics slam name withdrawal 'spectacle'

Rediff.com16 Jun 2023

A number of academicians as well as political scientists Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar, who were part of the textbook development committee of the NCERT, had asked the council to drop their names from textbooks over 'several substantive revisions of the original texts'.

Amazon to shut down distribution unit in India, focus on core businesses

Amazon to shut down distribution unit in India, focus on core businesses

Rediff.com28 Nov 2022

Amazon India has decided to shut down 'Amazon Distribution', according to sources. This follows its recent decision to shut its food delivery and edtech offerings. The moves are part of the annual operating planning review process amid global macroeconomic uncertainty. The e-commerce giant is looking to focus on its core businesses, sources said.

How the wealth of India's richest can make a difference

How the wealth of India's richest can make a difference

Rediff.com16 Jan 2023

The richest one per cent in India now own more than 40 per cent of the country's total wealth, while the bottom half of the population together share just 3 per cent of wealth, a new study showed on Monday. Releasing the India supplement of its annual inequality report on the first day of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, rights group Oxfam International said that taxing India's ten-richest at 5 per cent can fetch entire money to bring children back to school. "A one-off tax on unrealized gains from 2017-2021 on just one billionaire, Gautam Adani, could have raised Rs 1.79 lakh crore, enough to employ more than five million Indian primary school teachers for a year," it added.

Architects of G20: Sarkozy and Singh

Architects of G20: Sarkozy and Singh

Rediff.com14 Jun 2010

France and India have become partners in building a multipolar world.

Home Is Where We Can Begin To Be Kind

Home Is Where We Can Begin To Be Kind

Rediff.com1 Jun 2023

Parents, relatives, friends need to accept that things said in jest can deeply scar young minds and should therefore, be best avoided, notes Aarti David.

'Only time will tell if we can save Joshimath'

'Only time will tell if we can save Joshimath'

Rediff.com10 Jan 2023

'All hydropower projects in the Himalayan region must be stopped.' 'Joshimath is not alone.'

'These laws are equipped to suppress democracy'

'These laws are equipped to suppress democracy'

Rediff.com27 Dec 2023

'...by directing these draconian provisions against political and ideological opponents of the ruling group, minorities, and those who dare to dissent through and selective prosecution and prolonged incarceration as undertrials.'

India can learn from China economic reforms: Sonia

India can learn from China economic reforms: Sonia

Rediff.com27 Oct 2007

Describing the pace of change in China as truly astounding and outstanding, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said that India had much to learn from the way the Communist nation had approached economic reforms and liberalisation. Gandhi said the world today recognised the reality of an Asian renaissance and the re-emergence of China and India. She said that the two countries must work and prosper together as the world is big enough to accommodate the growth of both.

How many students dropped out over hijab ban, SC wants to know

How many students dropped out over hijab ban, SC wants to know

Rediff.com14 Sep 2022

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked whether there is any authentic figure regarding the dropping out of students from educational institutions in Karnataka because of the hijab ban and the subsequent judgment by the high court on the issue.

India's richest 1% own more than 40% of total wealth: Oxfam

India's richest 1% own more than 40% of total wealth: Oxfam

Rediff.com16 Jan 2023

The richest one per cent in India now own more than 40 per cent of the country's total wealth, while the bottom half of the population together share just 3 per cent of wealth, a new study showed on Monday.

Prospects For India's Youth: Cloudy, With High Chance Of Thunder And Lightning

Prospects For India's Youth: Cloudy, With High Chance Of Thunder And Lightning

Rediff.com6 Oct 2022

The country's demographic dividend is dissipating, with seriously adverse consequences for young India, asserts Shankar Acharya, former Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India.

Court Verdict Reopens Question On Hindu Identity

Court Verdict Reopens Question On Hindu Identity

Rediff.com13 Feb 2024

What should be made out of the Madras high court order involving non-Hindus' entry into Hindu temples, when many non-Hindus are among the hundreds of thousands that have been worshipping at these temples for generations, asks N Sathiya Moorthy.

Did Modi Slip Up On Dynasty Politics?

Did Modi Slip Up On Dynasty Politics?

Rediff.com13 Oct 2023

The PM is seen as slipping up in confidence levels as aired by his 'exposure' of the BRS on a crucial issue as alliance negotiations, which is not done under normal circumstances, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.

Budget 2023-24: Stay on fiscal glide path, economists advise FM Sitharaman

Budget 2023-24: Stay on fiscal glide path, economists advise FM Sitharaman

Rediff.com29 Nov 2022

The Union government could target a fiscal deficit of 5.8-6 per cent of nominal GDP for 2023-24, and it should continue its capital expenditure push and look to simplify the personal income tax regime, economists recommended Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her team during their pre-Budget interaction on Monday. Starting last week, Sitharaman had eight pre-Budget consultations this time. More than 110 invitees representing seven stakeholder groups participated in these meetings, the finance ministry said in a statement. The stakeholder groups included representatives and experts from agriculture and agro-processing industry; industry, infrastructure & climate change; financial sector and capital markets; services and trade; social sector; trade unions and labour organisations; and economists.

'Poverty not linked to terror'

'Poverty not linked to terror'

Rediff.com9 Nov 2004

A Harvard study finds a 'peculiar relationship between the levels of political freedom a nation affords and the severity of terrorism.'

Will Chennai Shed Its 'Disaster Capital' Tag?

Will Chennai Shed Its 'Disaster Capital' Tag?

Rediff.com6 Dec 2023

For the Stalin government to win back the confidence of voters ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, post-flooding restoration works, their speed and efficacy would be closely watched, and not just by the political Opposition, notes N Sathiya Moorthy.

NITI Aayog's Dynamic New CEO

NITI Aayog's Dynamic New CEO

Rediff.com7 Mar 2023

Go-getter, ambitious, dynamic, workaholic are some of the adjectives that officials who worked closely with B V R Subrahmanyam use to describe him.

PM's media advisor to take up teaching job

PM's media advisor to take up teaching job

Rediff.com2 Apr 2008

Dr Baru and Dr Singh struck up a close relationship when the latter was finance minister in 1991; in fact, when Dr Singh resigned from Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao's Cabinet over the stock exchange scam in the 1990s, it was Dr Baru who broke the story.

Noted economist Abhijit Sen, advocate of MSP, passes away

Noted economist Abhijit Sen, advocate of MSP, passes away

Rediff.com30 Aug 2022

Economist Abhijit Sen, a former Planning Commission member and one of the country's foremost experts on rural economy, died on Monday night. He was 72.

Kenneth Juster to be America's new ambassador to India: WH

Kenneth Juster to be America's new ambassador to India: WH

Rediff.com22 Jun 2017

Juster, who is the Deputy Assistant to the US president for International Economic Affairs and Deputy Director of his National Economic Council, would replace Richard Verma if nominated and confirmed by the Senate.

SHOCKING! 2,374 IAF Crashes. 1,305 Pilots Killed

SHOCKING! 2,374 IAF Crashes. 1,305 Pilots Killed

Rediff.com12 Sep 2023

During these seven decades, the IAF has lost 2,374 aircraft to crashes. They include 1,126 fighters and 1,248 non-combat aircraft. In addition, 229 trainers and 196 helicopters have crashed. These crashes have resulted in the deaths of 1,305 skilled pilots, note Ajai Shukla and Devesh Kapur.

Is 2nd Covid wave over? Experts call for caution

Is 2nd Covid wave over? Experts call for caution

Rediff.com21 Jun 2021

'We know that there are new variants which are more transmissible. We know that human behaviour determines the spread of this virus. Therefore, it is not very relevant if we declare whether the second wave is over or not'

Blasts hit two mosques in Pakistan, 58 killed

Blasts hit two mosques in Pakistan, 58 killed

Rediff.com30 Sep 2023

A powerful suicide blast ripped through a mosque in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province on Friday, killing at least 52 people and injuring over 50 others gathered to celebrate Prophet Muhammad's birthday, authorities said.

Manmohan Singh, Chief Architect Of Modi's Schemes

Manmohan Singh, Chief Architect Of Modi's Schemes

Rediff.com3 Mar 2023

Both prime ministers believed in crafting schemes to help the common man. Modi used quite effectively the instruments Dr Singh introduced. In assessing Modi's success with many schemes, Dr Singh's fundamental work should not be ignored, points out A K Bhattacharya.

2024 to be a Modi vs Kejriwal battle: Sisodia after raids

2024 to be a Modi vs Kejriwal battle: Sisodia after raids

Rediff.com20 Aug 2022

Addressing a press conference a day after the CBI raid against him, Sisodia expressed apprehension that the agency or the Enforcement Directorate (ED) may arrest him in the next 3-4 days, while Chief Minister Kejriwal, who has been aggressively taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party in Modi's home state, announced on Twitter that he will be touring Gujarat with Sisodia from Monday.

Modi sent CBI to Sisodia's home after NYT story: AAP

Modi sent CBI to Sisodia's home after NYT story: AAP

Rediff.com19 Aug 2022

The BJP-led Centre sent the CBI to conduct searches at Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's residence here just after the New York Times published a positive story in its front page about the Delhi model of education, AAP leaders said.

When 'national pride' trumps obvious questions

When 'national pride' trumps obvious questions

Rediff.com22 Dec 2021

Should we not stop uncritically celebrating NRIs' elevation without regard to what kind of companies they are getting to run, and the nature of their products or business practices, asks T N Ninan.

Did poverty and inequality spike during Covid?

Did poverty and inequality spike during Covid?

Rediff.com20 Mar 2023

Claims of a spike in poverty and inequality in India during the Covid-19 pandemic are patently false as such claims are based on uncomparable different surveys, according to a paper co-authored by eminent economist Arvind Panagariya. The paper also noted that inequality fell in the country during Covid years, both in rural and urban areas as well as nationally. Panagariya, Columbia University Professor and former vice chairman of NITI Aayog and Vishal More of Intelink Advisors, New Delhi have co-authored a detailed paper 'Poverty and Inequality in India: Before and After Covid-19'.

How govt will judge the performance of PSUs

How govt will judge the performance of PSUs

Rediff.com11 May 2022

The number of times public sector undertakings (PSUs) have held conference calls with investors, their capital management, and debt financing are among the parameters that the Centre will use to judge their performance for the first time, a senior official in the know said. The government will evaluate PSUs for FY22 based on new parameters that were finalised by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) in consultation with the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) last year, the official said. The government had included more conditions in the memorandum of understandings (MoUs) - used to set annual targets - that public sector enterprises sign with the DPE every year. These included a consistent dividend policy, which seeks to transfer dividends by PSUs every quarter; and market capitalisation or share price improvement over the sectoral index on an annual average basis for listed companies.

Key N-deal architect likely to be new US envoy to India

Key N-deal architect likely to be new US envoy to India

Rediff.com2 Sep 2017

As the Under Secretary for Commerce, Juster played a key role in developing the Indo-US deal.

Kerala doctor killing: HC warns police as medicos intensify stir

Kerala doctor killing: HC warns police as medicos intensify stir

Rediff.com11 May 2023

A special bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Kauser Edappagath directed the State Police Chief to come out with a new set of protocols for ensuring security of the doctors and other healthcare professionals in all government hospitals in the state.

Shehla Rashid, Shah Faesal withdraw Article 370 pleas

Shehla Rashid, Shah Faesal withdraw Article 370 pleas

Rediff.com11 Jul 2023

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will commence day-to-day hearing from August 2 on a batch of petitions challenging abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that bestowed special status on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.