Op-Eds

The Indian electorate has defied predictions of certainty, but the economic agenda for India remains unchanged. Despite impressive economic progress since 1991, India remains a low-middle-income economy. Policy priorities include urban expansion, modernization of agriculture, tackling unemployment, and addressing state-level disparities. Additionally, India must prepare for challenges such as aging populations and technological advancements to...   Read More

Elevating to autonomous, system-wide financial stewardship is not just advisable but essential. In 2024, the world faces an unprecedented financial challenge. Global debt has soared to a staggering $310tn, catapulting the global debt-to-gross domestic product ratio to an alarming 340%. This colossal debt burden has proven to be a formidable obstacle, with debt risks looming...   Read More

This is more so in rural areas. Insurance cover, public health are issues. The Covid-19 pandemic has redefined our health policies and strategies. It laid bare the inter-linkages between the healthcare systems, its availability, adequacy and affordability. At the core is the cost implication and impact on households over hospitalisations and healthcare interventions. The cost...   Read More

To maximise India’s youth-driven economic potential, it must boost women’s participation in labour force The often-quoted expression “demographic dividend” connotes the potential economic growth that can result from shifts in a population’s age structure. It implies the economic benefits resulting from a larger share of the working-age population. Changes in a country’s population age structure...   Read More

Based on the NSSO's data, a man spent an average of 74 minutes a day on childcare whereas a female spent a disproportionate length of 134 minutes a day on the same. Furthermore, care given to other family members is so gender-defined that irrespective of any other paid activity, women spend a definite length of...   Read More

At the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, the vast majority of India’s population aged 5 and above, is literate through formal schooling. About 84 percent of men and 72 percent of women are literate, as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), 2021–22, Government of India. That being said, slightly more...   Read More

Focus on grid balancing, optimal storage capacity and spatial distribution of power demand is needed. The success of India’s net zero pledge by 2070 rests heavily on India’s successful energy transition in the power sector, as it is responsible for more than 50 per cent of emission. So, India has gone all out to expand...   Read More

The Indian data market remains in its infancy due to regulatory ambiguity, despite the global trend of enterprises monetising various types of data. The potency of data becoming a critical asset is now a reality. Familiar phrases such as “data is the new gold” or “data is the new oil” underscore its value. In the...   Read More

Affordable hospital care requires health-care financing reforms that go beyond price regulations. Benchmark for pricing In an unregulated market-driven scenario, health-care providers focus on profit through higher prices and overprovision of care (supplier-induced demand). One potential solution, “yardstick competition”, involves regulatory authorities setting benchmark prices based on market observations. However, this approach faces challenges in...   Read More

Opinion: Udaibir Das and Wayne Byres. The crucial role of implementing Basel standardsThe Basel Committee implementation programme has been integral to international financial architecture. Having celebrated its 50th anniversary on 24-25 April, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision has journeyed from a humble forum for G7 bank supervisors to a titan among global financial standard-setting bodies....   Read More