The Gangrapes of Gurgaon

These crimes are a wake-up call - and a pointer to how skewed development is hurting India

The Gangrapes of Gurgaon

"While one part of Gurgaon got sewn into a global economy, another part remained cloistered in rural hamlets, awash suddenly in big money with no sensitization about what caused its arrival."

-The Times of India, March 16, 2012

A smile from Lanka

The best gift we can bring back from a so-called 'failed state' is a :-)

http://author.toiblogs.com/jugglebandhi/entry/a_smile_from_lanka

Jug Suraiya shares his experiences from his visit to Lanka, and the abundant receiving of smiles from the Lankan public, and a greeting of Ayubowan.

-The Times of India, March 16, 2012

Save The Budgets

Congress and Mamata must work out a deal

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Save-the-budgets/articleshow/12279973.cms

With West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee triggering "a political storm by requesting the axing of her own party minister, Dinesh Trivedi, after he presented the railway budget," the congress may have to be prepared for further opposition "to anything other than populist sops" from "the same quarters" in today's budget.

-The Times of India, March 16, 2012

Asset Gains

Census figures show growth may be trickling down, to some extent

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Asset-gains/articleshow/12280048.cms

Improved growth rates have trickled down into housing, inclusive banking, and possessions of telephones, televisions, motorcycles, cars and jeeps over the last decade.

-The Times of India, March 16, 2012

Balochistan : Another Bangladesh???

For long, Pakistan hasn't come out of the conventional and the orthodoxy approach to administration, culture, socio-economic qualms and other issues.

A lot of territorial sections of Pakistan have gone ahead of this increasingly tight-bound approach to growth and are looking for an imperial and a Sovereign status that has often led to widespread unrest in the country.

The Indian-spined Bangladesh movement is a classic case and the Balochistan's liberation movement that has and is gaining impetus in the recent past is another fine example.

Rubbing salt to the injury is the Pakistan defense forces' attack on the prosperous and prospective liberation movement leaders from the region.

If the situation continues to be as disturbing as the status quo, creation of another Bangladesh will be inevitable, opines Balachandra Rao as he explains the social dynamics of the territory and the political and geographical sensitivities of the region...

Balochistan: Pakistan's second Bangladesh?

A budget for the auto sector

Vinesh Kriplani, a tax partner in Ernst & Young (along with Sonal Jain, senior tax professional with a member firm of the Ernst & Young) explains the potential in the auto sector to boost the economy and why should the government consider providing it the required attention in this years' budget.

"A strong Budget that supports the auto sector at large and brings in clarity on existing anomalies in law will be welcomed by the industry."

Wanted : A budget that plays straight for the auto

Growth engine

The budget for the year 2012 is almost on the cards and India is yearning to see an all inclusive, realistically plausible, and a far-sighted economic perspective with apt imagination and innovation in our plan and balance sheet for this fiscal year.

PM Mathews, a professor of economics in the Christ University explains more...

A fantastic read if one needs to understand the complicated dynamics in economy and the challenges that India face to stabilise it....

Growth is fine, but can Pranab take all on board?

Jairam Ramesh advises NGO leader to stay away from politics

Times View - Can't farewell social work
Counter View - Activists are not politicians


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Jairam-Ramesh-advises-NGO-leader-to-stay-away-from-politics/articleshow/12235940.cms

-The Times of India, March 13, 2012

Cinema, Uninterrupted

Shared love of films can help forge closer links between India and Bangladesh

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Cinema-uninterrupted/articleshow/12235968.cms

-The Times of India, March 13, 2012

Dissecting The Soul

Why post-debacle inspection is such an elevated exercise

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Dissecting-the-soul/articleshow/12235469.cms

-The Times of India, March 13, 2012

Time To Talk

UPA must work together better

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Time-to-talk/articleshow/12236007.cms

Lack of an "effective consultative mechanism to thrash out contentious issues," and insufficient communication with allies, the editorial says, has led to "UPA's trust deficit, hurting its image and policy-making."

-The Times of India, March 13, 2012

Resource Curse

To check illegal mining, focus on implementing policies on the ground


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Resource-curse/articleshow/12236047.cms

The mining mafias in the recent past have begun to create terror. The center must coordinate and accelerate the efforts and "put an end to end to illegal mining at the earliest."

-The Times of India, March 13, 2012

Greg Chappell says Indian culture doesn't breed leaders

Times View - Tactless and highly patronizing - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Tactless-and-highly-patronising/articleshow/12200199.cms

Counter View - Chappell has a strong case - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Chappell-has-a-strong-case/articleshow/12200150.cms

-The Times of India, March 10, 2012

When Local Meets Global

Rising regional political forces must see domestic and foreign policy as interlinked

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/When-local-meets-global/articleshow/12200231.cms

"Political leadership requires thinking about the interconnections and trade-offs that are involved between short-term local policy choices and long-term strategic goals"

-The Times of India, March 10, 2012 

Adieu To Fiats of High Commands

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Adieu-to-fiats-of-high-commands/articleshow/12200063.cms

"The fiats of the 'high command', ideological posturing, coterie deliberations and too-clever-by-half electoral calculations - all of them manifestation of the 'commanding heights' approach to politics - are well and truly a thing of the past."

-The Times of India, March 10, 2012