The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY), a scheme approved by the Union Cabinet, is to be implemented through the convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 Departments. According to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the scheme seeks to address the “disparities in productivity” between States, and even among districts within a State. The … Read more
A musical bond The article, “The musical bond”, which covered the conversation between mridangam maestro Umayalpuram Sivaraman and Marxist leader M.A. Baby, at The Hindu office (Friday Review, July 18) took me back in time. Comrade A.S.R. Chari (Delhi), an eminent barrister, was so fond of Carnatic music that every year he would arrange for … Read more
Inequality is an important concern for the political economy of a democracy. However, the Indian inequality debate is often characterised by the selective use of data to make exaggerated claims that fuel misperceptions rather than result in a better understanding. The sharp reactions to a recent World Bank report (“India Poverty and Equity Brief: April … Read more
‘In the United States, the FAA has finally acknowledged that there is a problem and recently established a Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Subsequent to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s release of its preliminary report of the accident involving an Air India Boeing 787 flight at … Read more
For many cricket lovers in Bengaluru and Karnataka, the one lingering disappointment was the persisting failure of Royal Challengers Bengaluru to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy. Virat Kohli may have been king across the world but in the IPL he was not, until a dramatic change of fortunes at the very end of … Read more
The suggestion of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat last week that leaders should step aside at the age of 75 triggered a debate. Opposition leaders saw Mr. Bhagwat’s comment as a nudge from the RSS to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is turning 75 in September, to step down. The Bharatiya Janata Party … Read more
More than a decade ago, my professor at journalism school advised us to always carry a few chocolates or an energy bar while we were on the field. This was to counter the uncertain world of day-to-day reporting, where both availability of food and windows to eat are erratic. However, I took up sports journalism, … Read more
Measuring success is complicated; assessing the impact of one’s action can be even more challenging. The desire to be successful is different from the desperation to demonstrate success. Stakeholders have different yardsticks for measuring performance depending on their interest leaving the vital question “how does one measure one’s own success?” The Election Commission of India … Read more
A crew of four astronauts including India’s Shubhanshu Shukla completed their roughly two-week mission to the International Space Station on July 15. Mr. Shukla’s trip was presumed to have been an intensive rehearsal ahead of his flight as part of India’s first batch of astronauts for ISRO’s ‘Gaganyaan’ mission, currently expected in 2027. The presumption … Read more
Bihar poll roll revision There is a wide gap between how the Election Commission of India (ECI) has planned the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and how it is being conducted on the ground. In a State with low literacy and poor administration, it is highly suspect that an exercise of … Read more