Op-Eds

The Lead Bank Scheme of the RBI involves a ‘lead bank’ in each district of India that coordinates financial services in the district and a ‘convenor bank’ in each state that monitors these activities of the lead banks in the state. Analysing quarterly district-level data on credit disbursement for 2004-2019 this article finds that in...   Read More

It's time to address the root cause of the 1992 stock market scandal - a conflict of interest in RBI's many roles The release of a recent Sony LIV series on the Harshad Mehta financial markets scandals that rocked India in the early 1990s has triggered chintanam on an event that perhaps led to some...   Read More

The urban poor is still finding it difficult to return to work. Targeting social safety nets towards them is necessary as the economy struggles to recover. While COVID-19 continues its assault on human lives the Indian economy after the devastation in the wake of the lockdown is showing signs of recovering. Data from a variety...   Read More

Informational asymmetry among consumers producers gives each economic agent an incentive to cheat. The latest NCAER’s (National Council of Applied Economic Research) forecast has indicated that YoY growth will remain negative through Q2 Q3 and Q4 at -12.7% -8.6% and -6.2% respectively. For the year as a whole 2020-21 GDP will decline by -12.6%. It...   Read More

The new MPC has done well but it would take game-changing reforms for our economy to regain its pre-covid trend growth The new monetary policy committee (MPC) which submitted its first report last Friday has started well. Faced with an unprecedented crisis a steep gross domestic product (GDP) contraction of 24% in the first quarter...   Read More

In the Covid era physical distancing and isolation may be impossible to follow for those who rely on the support of others to eat dress and bathe Disability is an issue which has been the least researched. According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study disability ranges from five per cent in children to...   Read More

The agriculture sector like large and medium industries of the Indian economy also needs a well-organised industry representation. India has a long history of farm movements. Surplus generated out of the Green Revolution made farmers a politically significant group. Chaudhary Charan Singh was one of the first to identify its potential. He formed the Bharatiya...   Read More

The farm sector will attract private investment only if traders are assured that the govt will not put a constraint in their selling and purchasing price. The outset the three farm Bills brought in by the Narendra Modi government seem to create a level-playing field in the farm sector. They empower the farmer to sell...   Read More

The Centre should uphold its end of the deal with states as it would not only be more efficient but also help foster federalism The last thing India needed at this time when it is already facing crises on multiple fronts is friction in Centre-state relations. Yet relations between the Centre and states especially those...   Read More

The bank-led model of infrastructure financing is fraught with difficulties. But DFIs are not a quick fix. It is reported that the government is working towards reviving Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) for funding infrastructure projects in order to address the rising challenges of infrastructure financing. In the past DFIs have not worked well; it is...   Read More