Policy Watch

http://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/gold-import-duties-need-to-be-streamlined-rn-bhaskar/1372617 Gold import duties begin to attract attention — By RN Bhaskar | Oct 11, 2018 Last fortnight, the government of India released a list of 19 items where import duties had been raised. What was interesting was that despite a clamour from the trade...

http://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/india-harms-its-demographic-dividend/1217369 India ignores its demographic dividend — By RN Bhaskar | Feb 08, 2018 07:53 am One would have thought that any government that was keen on improving the lot of its people would have focussed on two critical areas – education and...

http://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/rn-bhaskar-the-abject-state-of-medicare-in-india/1008722 India's Medicate -- terrible state; forgotten objectives How does medicare fare in India?  The blunt answer is that nobody really knows.  There is very little data available.  Or at least, if the data is available with the government, little goes...

https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/water-and-waste-water-in-india India's blindness - for water and waste water RN Bhaskar  -- 4 July 2019 If one goes by news reports, it would appear that the government is trying to sort out the impending water crisis on a war footing. That is...

http://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/r-n-bhaskar-pushing-e-payments-with-scam-potential-dangerous/1001041 ePayments and the scam potential Try paying a bill of the MCGM (Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) -- the epayments way -- through its web portal.  It will be a vexing experience. Half the payment gateways do not work This could...

http://www.freepressjournal.in/income-inequality-taxes-and-the-indian-state-rn-bhaskar/845855 Income tax and the Indian state The government of India finally woke up to the scathing criticism levelled against it by none other than Thomas Piketty in February this year. Piketty talked about how there was tremendous income inequality in...

http://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/now-private-banks-too-are-getting-tarnished/1260481 AIBEA should focus more on private bank malpractices RN Bhaskar -- Apr 19, 2018 Stories about wheeling dealing that managements of private sector banks have indulged in have suddenly put the spotlight on such banks. Hitherto, the focus was on mismanagement...

http://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/rn-bhaskar-rera-becomes-real-will-the-customer-still-be-king/1066031 Will diluted forms of RERA work? — By RN Bhaskar | May 11, 2017 07:48 am It was a concept that was being spoken of almost nine years ago.  Finally, this government has made it happen.  Nobody thought that the real-estate-developer lobby could...

https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/policy-watch-when-it-comes-to-solar-panels-clouds-of-greed-mismanagement-and-theft-block-the-sun Rooftop solar: Clouds of greed, mismanagement and theft block the sun RN Bhaskar June 11, 2020 On paper, the situation looks wonderful.  IREDA (Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency) has plans to lend around $1.3 billion (Rs.100 billion) to the solar and wind...

https://www.freepressjournal.in/cmcm/economic-policy-little-vision-less-consultation Auto sector revival key to economic revival RN Bhaskar – August 22, 2019 Budget reviews are normally written within a fortnight after the papers are tabled in Parliament.  This belated review comes in the wake of sharply declining sales, slashing of...