Indholdsfortegnelse for June 3, 2019 i India Today

There are moments in the history of a nation when the voice of the people reverberates across the country. They are usually turning points which change the political landscape of the country. Narendra Modi’s recent stunning victory is one such event. Not since Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s landslide victory in the 1971 Lok Sabha election has a prime minister returned with consecutive majorities. I have witnessed two other such moments in the 44 years of this magazine’s existence. The first was the general election in March 1977 after Indira Gandhi lifted the Emergency. Indians shouted with their votes that they wanted Mrs Gandhi and the Congress party out regardless of who replaced them. She even lost her own seat in Rae Bareli and a hotchpotch Janata government took charge. The…

A deep dive into the India Today-Axis My India exit poll result reveals that the BJP, while broadly preferred across all divides—class, gender, age, income levels, old and new voters—was rejected by and large by the Muslim voter. POOR OR RICH, WHERE DID THEIR VOTE GO While the BJP gained votes across classes, from below poverty line population to those earning above ₹31,000 per month, the Congress did not do so well among the poor, but did comparatively better among those earning above ₹31,000 per month. The Alliance secured more votes from those with monthly earnings between ₹21,000 and ₹30,000 WHO WON THE CASTE VOTE The BJP got votes from all castes, and overwhelmingly from the upper castes, OBCs and Scheduled Tribes, including 41 per cent Dalit votes. The Congress…

AMIT SHAH The BJP president implemented Modi’s vision and had a say in formulating the policies and schemes that helped the BJP win big ARUN JAITLEY The finance minister rolled out Modi’s GST plan. Has also defended the government against attacks by the Opposition—from Rafale to demonetisation PIYUSH GOYAL The railways and former power minister realised Modi’s power revolution, cleaned up the power and coal sectors and is now reforming the railways DHARMENDRA PRADHAN The petroleum and natural gas minister was instrumental in implementing the Ujjwala scheme, giving subsidised cooking gas kits to 70 million poor families RAVISHANKAR PRASAD The Union minister for electronics and information technology is behind the Modi government’s digital push in governance, enhancing outcomes NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR The rural development minister oversaw the implementation of the…

1. Rahul Gandhi has come a long way since his ‘Pappu’ days, yet in the public perception, he was no match for PM Narendra Modi in terms of charisma, credibility and communication skills 2. He did not have a consistent core political team; he kept changing his counsellors. If one day he was listening to Ahmed Patel and Randeep Surjewala, another day he would go by the suggestions of K.C. Venugopal and Rajeev Satav. If one day the party stood by the central government on the Balakot air strike, the next day it was questioning the strike’s authenticity 3. Rahul targeted Modi over “corruption” in the Rafael deal. It was too complicated a theme to get traction among rural voters. Hitting at Modi’s biggest strength—his incorruptible image—boomeranged 4. In the…

“What really caught on with the Bengali Hindu voters was the BJP’s hard Hindutva with a soft touch...no destructive agenda, like the demolition of a mosque, but an emotional appeal to Hindus to be conscious of their astitva”ANEEK CHATTERJEE, Former Head of the Department of Political Science, Presidency University SEATS TMC 22 [34] BJP 18 [2] Congress 2 [4] CPI(M) 0 [2] * Total Lok Sabha seats: 42; figures in [ ] are for 2014 Unishei saaf (washout in 2019),” hollered Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bengali at a rally in Basirhat, West Bengal, on May 15. A counter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s slogan, “Du-haajar unish/ BJP finish (BJP will be finished in 2019), Modi’s slogan invited deafening cheers from the crowd. Exasperated with the Trinamool Congress…

SEATS BJP 10 [7] CONGRESS 0 [1] OTHERS 0 [2] * Total Lok Sabha seats: 10; figures in [ ] are for 2014 CONGRESS 8 [3] BJP 2 [2] SAD 2 [4] AAP 1 [4] * Total Lok Sabha seats: 13; figures in [ ] are for 2014 Firmly living up to their reputation of bucking the national (or in this instance, the north Indian) trend, Punjabis have once again voted for the Congress, while most of India overwhelmingly voted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA back to a second consecutive term in office. The Punjab Congress, headed by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was helped by two factors: Firstly, both, the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were afflicted with…

WHY ■ The pain caused by demonetisation and GST persists and has come in addition to the hurdles MSMEs have been coping with in terms of ease-of-doing business ■ Several big businesses have filed for bankruptcy and that has debilitated the entire supply chain by hitting smaller companies that feed the big businesses ■ The financial sector is under heavy strain, which has dried up finance for MSMEs HOW ■ Take immediate measures to simplify GST. Issues like a small error in the refund form has led to nearly the entire working capital getting stuck for several small companies, which don’t have the expertise and wherewithal for GST compliance. A task-force should be formed to smoothen out the hurdles in implementation of GST ■ Access to finance needs to be…

WHY ■ Slowing consumer demand has led to inventory backlog. As many as 440,000 housing units were unsold in seven major cities at the end of 2017, with Delhi NCR’s contribution being the highest at over 150,000 flats. The revival thereafter has been quite slow ■ Demonetisation, implemented in November 2016, slowed investments in the sector as cash payments were hit. The sector faces a liquidity crunch, with banks reluctant to lend to some projects and developers reined in by the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) from diverting funds to other projects ■ Overall stress in the economy and other sectors has made buyers more cautious, resulting in a dip in sales over the past few years. HOW ■ In a bid to boost home sales, the government…

WHY ■ Movement of freight (24 km/ hr) and passenger (50 km/ hr) trains among the slowest compared to peer countries ■ Indian freight fares are among the costliest globally, while the passenger fare is the cheapest ■ The railways is unable to increase revenues to match expenditure. The operating ratio has remained above 90 per cent for many years. HOW ■ Appointment of a Railway Development Authority will allow price regulation of both freight and passenger trains ■ Opening up to private investment, to allow ownership and operations of freight terminals ■ More ‘Vande Mataram’ coaches to replace premium trains ■ More DFCs by 2019 end and more bullet trains are expected…

WHY ■ India has a problem of surplus and unskilled labour ■ Lack of a structured approach towards implementation of labour laws has led to several blatant violations ■ Growth of trade unions has stymied some productive sectors. Increase in hiring costs has hurt labour-intensive sectors ■ India’s female labour participation rate is one of the lowest in the world—23.7 per cent in 2011-12, compared to 61 per cent in China and 56 per cent in the US HOW ■ Move swiftly on the passage of Code on Wages Bill, 2017 ■ Ensure adequate processes for better implementation of labour laws ■ Increase female labour force participation ■ Encourage formalisation of labour force by training, skill development and easing industrial relations…

DESPITE SEVERAL CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT over its 72-year history as an independent nation, India’s foreign policy has displayed more continuities than departures. Successive leaders may have brought changes in style or emphasis, but each has had to function within parameters set by India’s own relative power vis-à-vis other states and the changing geopolitical landscape within its own neighbourhood and beyond. The challenges Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced were not much different from what previous prime ministers did. He did not change the basic direction of India’s external relations, but pursued some relationships and policies with greater vigour and personal engagement. There is the perennial issue of Pakistan and its use of cross-border terrorism as an instrument of state policy. China remains the biggest foreign policy challenge for India and the…

WHY ■ Share of agriculture in rural households is only 40 per cent, 60 per cent comes from the non-farm sector. Rural non-farm sector, therefore, needs a strong push HOW ■ Higher investment in the rural sector, so that rural incomes rise through various non-farm sector avenues such as crafts, rural handloom and village tourism ■ Central government must raise rural wages across states to tackle distress and create additional domestic demand for all kinds of goods and services ■ Place NREGA workers on skilling ladder and help them become barefoot technicians and semi-skilled workers ■ Revive rural pensions for the old and disabled who are neither literate nor skilled ■ Create self-help groups for women. Replicate models like Kerala’s Kudumbashree, Tamil Nadu’s Mahalir Thittam and Bihar’s Jeevika…

Overall ■ Increase the budget for education to at least 6 per cent of GDP as suggested by various commissions and encourage the states to do so too; spending on education in India has reduced from 3.1 per cent of GDP in 2012-13 to 2.7 per cent in 2017-18 ■ Release the National Education Policy ■ Set up an autonomous education commission headed by eminent educationists Higher education ■ Replace the ‘one course fits all’ curriculum with skill-imparting, problem-solving and job-oriented interdisciplinary courses ■ Courses and training must be overhauled to create globally relevant and competitive institutions that can produce employable graduates. The government must support interdisciplinary courses that are key to solving problems at national, state and local levels ■ Simplify the regulatory mechanism. The University Grants Commission must…

WHY ■ More funds, support for R&D are needed for domestic research solutions ■ Science education is in a precarious state ■ For India to become a world leader, focus must shift to cutting-edge research, tech ■ Tap Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) and manage its potentially transformative impact ■ Focus on frontline tech such as Internet of Things (IoT), quantum cryptography to tighten cybersecurity HOW ■ Increase R&D support from 0.8 per cent to 2 per cent of GDP through individual/ team grants. Such support has led to the development of high-yielding Samba Masoori rice and the ‘Intelligent Agricultural Systems Advisory Tool’, a collaboration between Microsoft, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)…

WHY ■ While in the past couple of years, the sector has seen several major pushes in terms of policies and schemes to turn India into a global tourist destination, infrastructure, connectivity and safety remain concerns for tourists. The World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness report ranks India 104 and 114 out of 136 countries on hygiene and safety parameters, respectively. HOW ■ The new government must allocate at least 2 per cent of the total budget to the travel and tourism sector ■ The Union government needs a coordinated plan with states to provide and improve tourism-related infrastructure ■ Land is pivotal to the growth of the tourism industry and it remains in the domain of states. Proactive steps by the states are a must for new tourist…

Most of today’s stand-up comics weren’t even born when Russell Peters first took stage. To mark his 30 years in comedy, the Indo-Canadian comic is bringing to India his Deported World Tour this month Q. Why did you choose India to record your 30th anniversary show? Well, after a career of 30 years and a lot of jokes being made at the expense of my Indian people, I just wanted to show my love and respect for them by coming back to film my latest special. I’ve worked really hard on this set. It’s more self-deprecating and introspective than my other sets. Mind you, it still has its silly moments but it’s not your usual ‘I’m just making fun of your culture’. Q. Congratulations on your second baby. How has…

Half the homemakers and 54 per cent of professionals voted for the BJP. About 48 per cent of farmers and 39 per cent of farm labour voted for the party. The Congress got less support from homemakers, very little support among professionals, but attracted the unemployed and the retired Which electoral issue mattered the most to you? Who do you want as India’s next prime minister? Why do you prefer a BJP/ NDA government at the Centre? While voting, what was the most important factor on your mind? When did you finally decide to vote for the party/ candidate of your choice? FIRST-TIME VOTERS The BJP always had greater appeal in this segment, via social media. Strongly evident in 2014, this time too the BJP attracted 41 per cent first-time…

■ Shah has done a great job of building a new party but now he has to take the party to the next level ■ Craft a powerful expansion policy for the south using Modi’s pan-Indian image and removing the north Indian tag in the minds of people south of the Vindhyas ■ Create a talent pool of 200-odd workers to implement his model of party-building across India. The time is ripe as elections to the state BJP units are due after June 2019 ■ Build a second line of talent in party hierarchy. So far, Shah has relied on his own hard work, vision and intellect ■ Build a new team of office-bearers as he has mostly continued with the team he had inherited from his predecessor Rajnath Singh…

SEATS BJP 11 [12] AJSU 1 [0] JMM 1 [2] CONGRESS 1 [0] * Total Lok Sabha seats: 14; figures in [ ] are for 2014 For the BJP, it was an advantage to have Chief Minister Raghubar Das, a known master of exploiting political fault lines, as its poll manager for the Lok Sabha election. As someone who reportedly convinced six Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) MLAs to join the BJP in 2015, which gave the saffron party a simple majority in the state, Das started his campaign for the Lok Sabha poll on a similar note—by making Rashtriya Janata Dal state president Annapurna Devi join the BJP in March and fielding her as a candidate from Koderma, where she defeated JVM president and Jharkhand’s first chief minister, Babulal Marandi.…

SEATS DMK 23 [0] AIADMK 1 [37] CONGRESS 8 [0] BJP 0 [1] OTHERS 6 [1] *Total seats: 39; figures in [ ] are for 2014; Vellore seat elections cancelled The tactical approach of M.K. Stalin—who took over as president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) after the death of its legendary leader M. Karunanidhi—in aligning with the Congress and the Communist parties for the Lok Sabha election has paid off. The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, consisting of the Congress, CPI, CPI(M) and smaller parties, has won 37 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats as well as 13 of the 22 assembly byelections in Tamil Nadu. The result means the DMK and the state have contributed more than any other party to the UPA’s kitty. Yet, it will not wholly…

Corporate misgovernance WHY ■ Corporate governance issues have put banks’ credibility at stake HOW ■ The need is for deep reforms. A committee was set up by the government, but progress has been slow. Public sector banks need to create value for shareholders and become competitive Bad loans WHY ■ High NPAs and the crisis in the non-banking financial sector has dried up flow of credit HOW ■ Recapitalisation of banks must come with the onus of creating value. The government should refrain from debilitating regulation that can hurt banks’ ability to take commercial decisions to disburse loans. More transparency is needed regarding the bankruptcy code and the haircuts banks are taking Survival issues WHY ■ Among the 21 public sector banks of varying sizes, the smaller ones are struggling…

WHY ■ There is a serious liquidity crisis among exporters, especially the SMEs. Since banks are reluctant, they end up borrowing from lending institutions, raising costs. GST, with its taxes paid upfront, has not helped. With returns delayed, payments are blocked for 3-4 months ■ A number of India’s export promotion schemes have been challenged by the US ■ India spends little on R&D, making us lag in innovative products in export markets HOW ■ Bring exports under priority lending segment, so that banks lend more to SMEs, especially the gems and jewellery segment ■ The GST Council has to implement the e-wallet (electronic wallet) scheme, in which exporters would be credited with virtual currency by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). This can be used by exporters to…

The Indian road network, with 130,000 km of national highways, carries around 65 per cent of the total freight traffic. An increase in the pace of award and execution during fiscal 2018, acceptability of the toll operate and transfer (TOT) model among investors and the favourable features of the hybrid annuity model (HAM) gave a boost to investor confidence in the sector. HAM replaced the build-operate and transfer, or BOT, model. This reduced the traffic risks and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) ensured 40 per cent annuity returns. Since then, more than 100 projects were allocated—highway construction speed peaked from 10 kilometres daily in 2013-14 to 26-29 kilometres in 2017-18 and a large part of 2018-19. However, the sector still faces challenges. EXPERTSPEAK…

WHY ■ The Jet Airways crisis looms large. Even as the government has said that they will not bail out the airline, they still have to take crucial decisions on flying rights given to other airlines in the slots earlier held by Jet Airways ■ Air India disinvestment, a crucial promise made by the Modi government, is also symbolic of its commitment to deliver on its promise of minimum government and maximum governance HOW ■ Take decision on slots and traffic rights allocated to other airlines in the light of the Jet Airways crisis. If Jet Airways is resurrected, who will retain those rights? And what will be the future of Jet Airways for the various shareholders? ■ The allocation of six projects for airport privatisation won by the Adani…

WHY ■ Regulatory processes in India are extremely cumbersome, leading to most funded tech start-ups redomiciling outside India ■ Dearth of an ecosystem that provides succour in early stages ■ A start-up needs to liaise with many agencies before it can take wings. Plus, the economic environment is unkind to a start-up’s “failures” HOW ■ We need to move away from the mentality of “registering” firms. Government needs to provide access to capital and enable ease of doing business ■ A favourable tax regime for safeguarding intellectual property rights and reduced tax burden is required ■ Start-ups need to be provided access to government projects…

The election in Jammu and Kashmir is going to be the first priority for the new government. The insurgency-hit state has been under President’s rule for the past five months and was under Governor’s rule for six months prior to that. With the Amarnath yatra on and the heavy deployment of security forces personnel, it is unlikely that election will be held before July, when the yatra ends. Two other internal security threats needing immediate attention are the Maoist problem and radicalisation by ISIS. Maoists have once again gained the upper hand with violent attacks in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. India has so far successfully managed to curtail the Islamic State’s domestic influence but, as the Sri Lankan bombings so close to India’s shores suggest, it is not immune to similar…

WHY Need to further streamline bureaucracy and induct more external talent via lateral entry Need to institutionalise promotion avenues for non-IAS officers Grievance redressal system needs to be institutionalised for quicker and efficient redressal. PMO-driven currently, a system has to be evolved and introduced Strategic disinvestment process needs to be speeded up for better resource allocation and optimum use of resources in a situation where demand exceeds supply in terms of funds Government land needs to be better monetised to fund welfare schemes. Current pace too tardy HOW Currently, reforms in the bureaucracy, including lateral entry, are PMO-driven. They need to be institutionalised through a dedicated system Induction in bureaucracy via lateral entry needs to be expanded exponentially to inject efficiency into the system. There is certainly enough room for…

WHY ■ Though 78 per cent of fresh water available in the country is diverted towards agriculture, only 48 per cent of gross cropped area is under irrigation ■ Small and marginal farmers, who form the bulk of the agricultural community, cannot avail of digital marketing because they do not have withholding capacity ■ While Minimum Support Prices (MSP+50 per cent) have been promised to farmers for 22 grains, including pulses, oilseeds, cotton, jute and seven cereals, and fair and remunerative price (FRA) for sugarcane, procurement is limited to paddy and wheat in most states. Procurement levels are pathetically low in eastern states HOW ■ In the short term, the focus will be on drought-proofing and strengthening watershed management in the rain-fed districts of Karnataka, Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat…

IN AN ELECTORAL DEMOCRACY LIKE INDIA, EVERY new government brings a window of opportunity to push further reforms. In the history of global economic growth and development, no nation has progressed without investing in human capital. Human capital is typically measured in terms of health and education outcomes. Health has been a low policy priority in India for decades. Prime Minister Narendra Modi succeeded in making health a political subject in India by announcing and implementing the world’s largest health protection scheme, Ayushman Bharat Yojana or the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. This is a significant step towards attaining universal health coverage in India. Most media discussions around Ayushman Bharat have been limited to only one aspect of it—the health insurance coverage for the bottom 40 per cent of the…

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN DIFFICULT FOR INDIAN governments to balance the needs of the environment with the imperatives of development. The newly elected government in 2019 will face a challenge of an altogether different magnitude. With climate crises on the rise, environmental disasters—including droughts, floods, cyclones and heat waves—are becoming increasingly frequent and extreme in their effects. A single recent disaster, the recent cyclone Fani, has led to economic losses of well above Rs 12,000 crore. About 600 million people—half of India—live in hotspots of climate change. Coastal megacities, like Mumbai and Kolkata, will face the brunt of sea level rise and flooding. Dry inland regions of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, dominated by the poor and marginalised tribal communities, will face the worst combinations of heat…

Is tax on your interest income deducted at source and do you wait for a refund after filing your income-tax return? You can avoid TDS on your interest income if you fill in form 15G/H. TDS is part of a direct tax that is levied on the gross earnings of an individual. It applies to salary, interest earned on bank/post-office deposits, rental income and commissions, among other things. A TDS mechanism enables tax to be deducted well in advance on receipts that are in the nature of an income of an individual. In FY2019-20, the basic exemption from TDS on interest income has been increased to Rs 40,000. However, many individuals, especially senior citizens, have much higher interest income and might want to avoid tax being deducted at source. “To…

At the entrance of Delhi’s upscale Khan Market, which, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is the epicentre of all the political and intellectual forces out to demolish his image, a large hoarding of Congress president Rahul Gandhi stares out at you. It displays the NYAY message, the Congress’s minimum income guarantee scheme launched on April 2, nine days before the first phase of the 2019 general election. Through NYAY, the party promised to deposit Rs 72,000 annually in the bank accounts of the poorest 20 per cent of Indian households. In that context, the positioning of the NYAY hoarding at Khan Market—frequented by Delhi’s uber rich—seemed a perplexing decision. In fact, several Congress leaders opposed putting up the hoarding in posh localities of Delhi, as NYAY was perceived to…

Scenario 1 There is a clamour for a new leadership in the party; chorus will begin to replace Rahul with Priyanka Gandhi Scenario 2 There could be revolt from the state wings; some veterans could plot splits while several young turks may seek political careers with other parties Scenario 3 Rahul may introduce drastic changes, which he has held back till now, as there is nothing left to lose; Uttar Pradesh 2022 may be the first laboratory Scenario 4 There is no change, party continues to function as it has, waiting for the BJP to weaken on its own…

Q. What’s the secret behind the BJP’s success in the northeast? A: Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, unprecedented development has happened in the region. Road, rail and air connectivity has massively improved. State-specific schemes have been launched. The prime minister visited the area 30 times in the past five year. Q. There was a massive protest in the Northeast against the BJP-backed Citizenship Amendment Bill. It did not reflect in election results. A. The media highlighted the 20 per cent people who protested against the bill. There were 80 per cent people who supported it. Q. We saw a different kind of campaign this time. You were dancing in all your road shows. A: The strike in Balakot created euphoria across the country. We were certain about…

WHY ■ Credit offtake is in decline with several banks under ‘prompt corrective action framework’ for bad loans ■ Consumption has taken a hit with a decline in demand for products across categories ■ Industrial activity has slowed and several estimates suggest that India could grow below 7 per cent ■ Private investment has been declining. The 2018-19 fiscal saw new investment proposals at Rs 9.5 trillion, the lowest in 14 years ■ Chinese dumping has hit Indian industry ■ There is evident rural distress and forecasts suggest a difficult monsoon and a water crisis ■ The GST quagmire has hit exporters, SMEs HOW ■ The RBI commits to systematic liquidity surplus by cutting the CRR (cash reserve ratio) rate. A cut in CRR means banks are left with more…

The Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector literally forms the backbone of the Indian economy. Some 65 million MSMEs account for 120 million jobs. Two big policy moves by the Narendra Modi government have left the sector struggling. Demonetisation, which took out nearly 86 per cent of India’s currency, dealt a liquidity blow to the MSMEs and hit their business. It was followed within months by the Goods & Services Tax (GST) that required MSMEs to rejig their structure and put them under immense compliance burden. Shake-ups in the banking and non-banking financial companies space starved MSMEs of capital even as they battled infrastructure issues. All of this has taken a heavy toll on a sector that is the second largest job creator in the country. What’s added to…

WHY ■ To get manufacturing to contribute over 20 per cent to GDP ■ To provide much-needed jobs to India’s aspiring youth ■ To revive exports, especially of value-added products at a time when China is under pressure from the US on the trade tariffs front ■ To revive the fortunes of the micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs), currently in distress and impacting lakhs of jobs ■ To review the much-hyped ‘Make in India’ programme which failed to attract investment beyond a few mobile handset companies HOW ■ Expedite progress of ease of doing business on the ground, especially in the areas of land acquisition, ensuring faster and simpler clearances. Ensure a lead role for states in reforms. For instance, only eight states have implemented the Land Acquisition,…

WHY ■ Difficulties in achieving financial closure of HAM projects of 2017-18 and reduced bidding by developers due to a large number of unfinished projects and a limited contractor capacity ■ Increase in cost of land acquisition (up from Rs 1.3 crore per hectare in 2015 to Rs 2.8 crore in 2018), has increased NHAI’s funding requirements ■ The government will have to limit its off-balance sheet borrowings to finance road projects and seriously consider an alternative infrastructure financing model HOW ■ Enhancing lenders’ confidence by roping in firms with demonstrated execution capability ■ NHAI has to help state governments increase the pace of land acquisition by providing manpower and tracking their progress regularly ■ By approaching projects on a case-by-case basis and going for tougher solutions, like injecting fresh…

WHY ■ Need to ensure 24X7 electricity supply to all units (commercial and households) in a sustainable manner ■ In the past five years, the electricity sector has seen only piecemeal reforms. India requires an overhauled and sustainable energy policy HOW ■ Second-generation distribution sector reforms are required to bring in operational efficiencies ■ The amendments in the electricity Act require final clearances of Parliament; provisions such as segregating the content and carrier are critical ■ AT&C losses are high, making the cost of electricity supply high; this needs to be brought down ■ We need changes in policy to push solar-based energy; market-linked pricing via reverse bids is the need of the hour…

National security doctrine WHY India lacks a national security doctrine to guide planning and acquisitions for the forces HOW This doctrine is being worked upon by a committee headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval Infrastructure on China border WHY To enable the army to rapidly move troops and equipment to the border HOW Seventy-three Indo-China border roads along the northern borders were approved for construction in 2006. Only 27 roads have been completed; the rest are due by December 2022 Appoint a chief of defence staff WHY To act as the single-point advisor to the government and begin the process of integration of armed forces HOW Start movement on the proposal that was sent to the Prime Minister’s Office a year ago…

J&K poll WHY ■ Election in the state could mitigate the internal unrest HOW ■ Election will have to be called soon after the Amarnath yatra ends Countering ISIS WHY ■ The bombings in Sri Lanka by members of an ISIS-affiliated network are an ominous portent HOW ■ Unearthing links with the Lankan ISIS cell and keeping a vigil on potential Indian radicals who might want to carry out similar attacks Utilisation of funds and curtailing costs WHY ■ Underutilisation of funds has been a constant worry for the MHA. Last year, nearly 25 per cent of the Rs 2,066 crore modernisation funds were unutilised HOW ■ Study ways to bring down personnel costs by using technology and speeding up projects like the Rs 20,000 crore Comprehensive Integrated Border Management…

The past decades have lamentably shown that ministers of law and justice may come and go, but the problems of arrears and judicial vacancies continue forever THE NEW UNION MINISTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE will have a daunting task, as the nation enters the third decade of the 21st century. Almost 40 per cent of the sanctioned strength of high court judges remains vacant. The National Judicial Data Grid indicates that 4,326,067 cases are pending in the high courts and 30,741,189 cases in the lower courts. And years of abject neglect left the tribunal system in tatters. The events of the last few years should not eclipse the enormous good work done by the Supreme Court and the high courts over the past seven decades. The basic structure doctrine evolved…

Data shows that once gaps start to appear in basic literacy and numeracy in classes I or II, it is difficult to overcome them. The government should consider forming a foundational learning task force to study and develop a nuanced understanding of why previous efforts in improving foundational learning failed and what are the essential elements that must be present in any solution formulated by government agencies. Solving foundational learning is a complex issue and a ‘one size fits all’ approach should be discarded. Instead, the government should get states to contextualise and launch their reform agenda for foundational learning with clear success indicators. This should be accompanied by flexible funding and technical support to states. There are examples from other developing countries such as Brazil, Vietnam and Peru to…

>> In minimum dues, you effectively pay interest of 36-48%, beside the 18% GST charge >> Paying only minimum due in last bill means you lose interest-free spend in current billing cycle >> Use it only when you are sure about paying off the entire dues in the next few billing cycles >> If it takes longer, you should convert it into EMIs (if it is offered) >> You may go for balance transfer on EMI if you have a second credit card with a lower interest charge >> You can take a personal loan to clear the dues as it would be much cheaper…

>> Select the correct assessment year >> Submit valid PAN or Permanent Account Number while filling out Form 15G/H, else tax will be deducted at 20% >> Any incorrect declaration in Form 15G/H attracts penalty and prosecution under Section 277 >> The forms have to be submitted in each branch of the bank from where the interest income is generated >> Make estimate of income from all sources—including that accruing from interest—during the year as accurately as possible…