USA `industrial’ agriculture enjoys high subsidies Agriculture-dependent countries get no subsidies! Indian agriculture is very different from what we see in advanced countries or small countries in Central Asia or Africa.In the USA agriculture is becoming an industrial activity. There big agri/food companies have emerged as the big buyers of agri products. Thus, McDonalds, the…
Right to Information for citizens? For farmers?
End the collectors’ Raj! First step is the Right to Information Act! Indian bureaucracy is not trained to part with information under the law. Under the existing law, there is so much official secrecy and everyone, from the ministers to the secretaries to the petty village clerk is accustomed to browbeat the poor and the…
Economics and politics
Economic change? Not possible without a clear political will! It is political will,rather than any economic wisdom that propels economic change. Economics in its grand design must be seen essentially as people’s hopes and aspirations. Economic science or art may be about dry statistics or figures.But economic trnasformation calls for a vision and a drive…
Technologies that define our lives
Some of the new technology products from Apple, Sony Microsoft have changed the way we live and do our business. Just now I read how Singapore is the number one tech-savvy economy. Beating America to the fifth position in the”Networked Readiness Index” by the World Economic Forum. U.S.lost its top position after a three year…
A Third Front? Soon in India?
Wild speculations in Delhi and in the major state capitals. Though Dr.Manmohan Singh spoke bravely about his one-year government achievements, not many are convinced. Some surveys, of CEOs or youngsters, feel, some 80 per cent of 18-45 years age group in 10 cities are disappointed. There is wild speculation in the political circles about a…
Chennai-born, Yale-educated Indira Nooyi
Pepsico President and CFO Till the other day she was called the poster girl for all aspiring Indian executives. Both men and women! Not any more, it seems. She did what we in India might consider the most harmless thing of giving a speech to the Colombia University B-school graduation ceremony. She just pointed out…
New mindset, new style of imperial Delhi?
Self-congratulations by one and all! Panchayat Raj is identified with Collectors’ Raj! This is no way to generate employment or reduce poverty! One year of UPA doesn’t even mention employment generation, rural development, poverty reduction! Somehow, the mindset of the New Delhi government is out of sync with the mindset of the rural India. There…
Sir A Lakshmanaswamy Mudaliar
A long-serving Vice – Chancellor & a formidable educationist Dr. S. Radhakrishnan is known for his unique distinctions. He served as vice-chancellor of Andhra university at Waltair for two terms and he recruited talented persons as university staff. He consulted far and wide, leading scientists in Europe when he searched for science staff. He appointed…