Economic Perspectives Freebie phobia: The BJP’s concerted attack on redistributive transfersC.P. ChandrasekharAlthough the BJP is against ‘freebies’ in principle, in practice it has been forced to use a version of concessions and transfers to counter the o
Economic Perspectives Inflation leaves world economy in disarrayC.P. ChandrasekharInflation has been accelerating over the past few months. And supply levels and price trends are signalling imminent crises in global energy and food
Economic Perspectives Climate finance: A costly dodgeC.P. ChandrasekharThe burden of climate finance must be shared fairly. But, in the context of the work being done by the IPCC, developed countries talk of measures such
Cover Story: Sri Lanka's worsening crisis Inherited problems that led to Sri Lanka’s economic crisis C.P. ChandrasekharThe Sri Lankan crisis has been intensified by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. However, the government’s attention is focussed on its foreign ex
Economic Perspectives The fragility of contemporary capitalismC.P. ChandrasekharThe Ukraine situation is having unexpected economic consequences, such as an explosion in nickel prices, and a prolonged war could be catastrophic for
Economic perspectives Financial markets at a turning point as inflation looms largeC.P. ChandrasekharHigh inflation in advanced economies is forcing central banks to go back on their unconventional monetary policies. It also spells trouble for emergin
Economic Perspectives Union Budget 2022-23: Government reduces spending on welfare, sticks to conservative fiscal stanceC.P. ChandrasekharThe Narendra Modi government choosing to stick with its regressive fiscal agenda in an election year sends out a clear message: it places all its bets
Economic Perspectives The 'pretend nationalisation' of Vodafone India C.P. ChandrasekharThe Modi government’s acquisition of a 35.8 per cent stake in Vodafone India is part-nationalisation that supports a set of well-heeled private tele
Economic Perspectives Co-lending: Another bonanza for private capitalC.P. ChandrasekharThe recent State Bank of India-Adani Capital co-lending scheme to help farmers is not only loaded in favour of Adani Capital but also appears to facil
Policy and economic recovery Engineered setback: Government's COVID response aggravates economic crisisC.P. ChandrasekharThe COVID-induced devastation and the state’s tepid response have enhanced the severity of the current economic crisis and official claims of a V-sh
Economic Perspectives End of an era of cheap money? C.P. ChandrasekharAcross the world, there is a sense of apprehension about the economic future owing to signs of inflation and a readjustment of monetary policy in adva
Economic Perspectives The gaping holes in climate financeC.P. ChandrasekharThe claim that private capital is “available” to help countries meet their climate change goals not only diverts attention from the problem of ina
Economic Perspectives India’s coal crisis is the result of its neoliberal agenda C.P. ChandrasekharThe so-called coal shortage in India was the result of botched policy initiatives that involved curbing public sector mining and getting the private s
Economic Perspectives Allegations of manipulation in the World Bank’s annual Doing Business ranking suggest institutional problems C.P. ChandrasekharThe difference in the responses to the allegations against Chile and China regarding manipulation of the World Bank’s Doing Business rankings in 201
Economic Perspectives Evergrande conundrumC.P. ChandrasekharA Chinese behemoth’s missing of an interest payment triggers local and global fears of its impending collapse, but the government is in no hurry to
Economic Perspectives Global finance looking to profit from carbon and carbon allowancesC.P. ChandrasekharThe entry of speculative investors into carbon markets could distort their working, and the resultant volatility and uncertainty are likely to inflict
Neoliberal reforms Indian neoliberalism: A toxic gift from global finance C. P. ChandrasekharThe stock market, with the foreign institutional investor at the centre, has come to symbolise what neoliberalism has to offer. If at Independence fre
Economic Perspectives An insider’s warning on environmental, social and governance investing C.P. ChandrasekharTariq Fancy, former chief investment officer of BlackRock Inc., says that the financial services industry that has promoted environmental, social and
Economic Perspectives The strange case of Videocon’s insolvencyC.P. ChandrasekharThe twists and turns in the Videocon bankruptcy proceedings have called into question the integrity of the IBC, which was touted as a game-changing me
Economic Perspectives Biden’s economic policy faces a backlashC.P. ChandrasekharAs President Joe Biden strives to win support for substantially enhanced spending to help the post COVID recovery of the United States economy, critic
Economic Perspectives Union government’s new e-commerce rules target Amazon and Flipkart-WalmartC.P. ChandrasekharThere seem to be multiple motivations underlying the Union government’s recent interventions in the digital sphere, which target foreign e-commerce
Economic Perspectives Communique released after G7 Finance Ministers’ summit does not have much to offer beyond commitments already agreed upon C.P. ChandrasekharThe global minimum tax proposal that the G7 Finance Ministers’ summit agreed upon falls disappointingly short of what is needed and possible. And th
Economic Perspectives The economic crisis is real; the picture of economic resilience is an illusionC.P. ChandrasekharWhile two official reports on the economic fallout of the second wave of COVID-19 in India suggest that it has been less severe than the first, the fa
Imperialism Crime and empireC.P. CHANDRASEKHARAn insider story of the economic hit men of imperialism. (Published in the issue dated April 22, 2005.)
Elon Musk and the culture of greed pride If we take seriously the premise that cinema is reflective of the times it is embedded in, then the sudden expression of money and luxury as heroic en
SlideshowSri Lanka: The stranded stateSri Lanka has faced a series of misfortunes—the wrath of a 26-year-long civil war, a devastating tsunami, the Easter bombings of 2018, the spread of
