Op-Eds

The recent rape and murder of a young doctor in Kolkata has once again ignited national outrage, as protests and demands for justice sweep across India. The brutality of this crime has understandably shaken the country’s conscience, thrusting the issue of sexual violence into the spotlight. However, while it’s necessary to condemn and react to...   Read More

India as a major regional power needs to brace up to the reality of climate refugees. As temperatures soar and monsoons intensify, South Asia stands at the centre of a brewing climate disaster. Recent floods in West Bengal, where rivers breached embankments and displaced thousands, have submerged vast lands. In 2023, rainfall surged over 40...   Read More

Instead of focussing excessively on rankings with well-recognised shortcomings, recognising achievements and refining goals consistent with national priorities will be a more fruitful approach. Developing global indices and rankings has turned into a minor industry. The Global Competitiveness Index, Global Happiness Index, Global Hunger Index, Ease of Doing Business Index, Corruption Perception Index, Global Go-To...   Read More

Odisha must conduct deep-down power system analysis Among the Indian states, energy intensity of Odisha economy has always been on the higher side due to her higher resource (mineral) base. The proximity of minerals has led to development of extraction based industries in the state. The abundance of coal resources has fuelled development of coal...   Read More

Persistent regional disparities in household illiteracy is hampering India's quest for inclusive development. Household illiteracy in India: The fight against illiteracy has long been a priority for policymakers in India. Education, often hailed as the cornerstone of progress and empowerment, remains central to India’s vision of inclusive growth and development. However, despite significant strides, the battle...   Read More

The Companies Act (2013) implemented in 2015 marked a turning point for the presence of women directors in corporate India. This Act required all listed firms to have at least one woman on their board. In a recent paper, Mahima Vasishth, Navya Srivastava, and I looked at the trends of female leadership in corporate India....   Read More

Households, both rural and urban, spent about 13.53 per cent of their annual education expenditure on coaching and tutoring in 2022-23. This is 1.67 percentage points higher than 2011-12. Dependency on coaching to improve academic performance is now common at all levels of education. There was a time when students who sought private tuitions were...   Read More

As India sets its sights on Viksit Bharat—a vision of becoming a developed and prosperous nation—one crucial factor could determine the success of this ambitious goal: the full and active participation of women in the workforce. Despite the nation’s significant growth since the economic liberalization reforms of 1991, the decline in female labour force participation...   Read More

Constitutional independence alone is not enough. It must be bolstered with strong public accountability and transparency. Emerging market regulators face significant challenges in maintaining their credibility when domestic and external entities level allegations against them. The Hindenburg Report's accusations against the Adani Group and India's Securities and Exchange Board (SEBI) have thrust the integrity of...   Read More

The World Bank’s measure of extreme poverty, at $2.15 a day, represents a level of deprivation that is rarely seen in the West. At this income, hunger or its shadow is an inescapable feature of life. Estimates suggest that over half the children born to poor families are undernourished. One could argue that even a...   Read More