The Case of Akshaya Patra

A recent article by The Hindu has triggered a debate over the Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF). Specifically their contribution to Karnataka’s midday meal (MDM) scheme. Animated and sentimental opinions have been making the rounds on social media. The discussion appears to have regressed into a conflict of ideologies and stories rather than an examination of…

The Need for and Ways to Reignite India-CEE Relations

Since Independence, India has shared a cordial relationship with the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. As time progressed, India and the CEE countries which were part of the erstwhile Soviet Union shared an amicable relationship till its disintegration.1 Since then, economic relations between the countries have dwindled. India contributes somewhere between 1-2% of the…

Visa Policy: India and the World (Part I)

With travel and tourism being considered an important pillar for socio-economic and cultural development in India, the sense of urgency to strengthen tourism has grown. India is ranked 40th out of 138 countries in the 2018 Travel and Tourism Competitive Index of the World Economic Forum. India has jumped 25 places, improving upon its ranking…

Embracing Multilateralism, Once Again!

Washington Consensus promoted the view that the operation of the free market and the reduction of state intervention were crucial for development in the global South. It is of the view that developing countries should adopt market-led development strategies (such as free flow of goods, services, labour and capital) that trickle down to the benefit…

DPrP 2011 versus DPrP 2018

The Defence Production Policy (DPrP) 2011 was issued by the Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence (MoD). It outlines the framework within which domestic industries are expected to pursue indigenous design and manufacture of defence equipment.The policy recognises Micro, Small andMedium Enterprises (MSMEs) as an integralpart of the defence production supply chains. As…

Re-Making Make in India

Data released by Ministry of Commerce shows a worsening of India’s trade deficit by almost 45%, rising from USD 106.2 billion in FY 17 to USD 156.83 billion in FY 18. While imports during the fiscal grew at around 19.59%, exports showed a muted growth rate of less than 10%. This slowdown in India’s foreign…