Network congestion
The Indian
Express, January 20, 2015
By Pradeep S
Mehta
All of us suffer
because of the frequent call drops and lousy services of
mobile phone service providers. Last year, the Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had imposed fines
amounting to Rs 5 crore on telcos for poor services. But
what is the reason for bad service? Fines have not been
deterrents and too much competition has resulted in poor
quality services. Indian telecom is frequently cited as an
example of the benefits of a market-based sector…India is
the world’s second largest telecom market and also the
fastest growing. It presents huge opportunities for telecom
operators. However, there are concerns that too many
operators are competing in the Indian market.
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How not to contain the fiscal deficit
The Hindu Business Line, January 22, 2015
By Pradeep S
Mehta
India is in a
precarious situation. More than eight months into the
current fiscal, fiscal deficit is almost breaching the
annual target; revenue receipts are not reaching even half
the yearly target; and over ₹8 lakh crore are pending in
direct tax recoveries. Future steps would demonstrate if the
government has a long-term strategy in place for fiscal
governance…Therefore, containing deficits is important.
However, it must be noted that in doing so means are as
important as ends. Use of unsuitable means, while providing
short-term relief, compromises the ability of a country to
develop a long-term fix.
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Niti Aayog: No quick fix
The Asian Age
January 20, 2015
By Pradeep S
Mehta
As an institution,
Niti Aayog will have to emerge as a credible lean knowledge
body or a think tank. In doing so, it needs to be equipped
to think through sound policy initiatives for the medium
term and beyond to grow the pie. In order to do that, it
must have the ability to envision future scenario and
suggest corrective steps when required. Secondly, it must
also revive the Independent Evaluation Office rather than
depend upon an in-house body that has so far proved to be
ineffective. In doing all this effectively, it will have to
build up sustainable partnerships with the private sector,
trade unions, media, think tanks and CSOs. In its second
role, it needs to deliver directional and strategic
recommendations to the governments on the developmental
process. With no clarity on the fate of five-year and annual
plans, it remains uncertain how Niti Aayog will achieve
this.
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Addressing civic indiscipline in Jaipur needs education &
enforcement
DNA, January 12,
2015
By Pradeep S
Mehta
Jaipur continues
to take baby steps to achieve its dream of becoming a world
class city, but a change in our mindsets is a precursor to
its realisation, which is not the government’s
responsibility alone. Another act of civic indiscipline is
defacement of our road signage. There is a law against
defacement, which includes a liability of the poster owner,
but enforcement is nil…In the ultimate analysis, it is we
the citizens of this beautiful city who have to take up the
cudgels of dealing with indiscipline through education and
enforcement, and ask the authorities to cooperate.
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A $10 trillion economy by 2030?
The Hindu Business
line, January 09, 2015
By Pradeep S
Mehta
A strong national
market backed by clean procurement policies and realistic
fiscal management can take us there. While the general mood
in the country seems buoyant, the business sentiment is not
quite in sync. The reasons are well known, but there is
ardent hope for progress under Narendra Modi. We need to
cross the Rubicon of 5 per cent-plus growth rate and aim for
at least 6 per cent in the new financial year, with the goal
of turning India into a US$10tn economy by 2030 in absolute
terms.
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Time to Energize BIMSTEC
The Diplomat,
January 07, 2015
By Bipul
Chatterjee and Surendar Singh
With negotiations
stalling at the SAARC, it’s time for India to focus on the
Bay of Bengal. It has been more than thirty years since the
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was
formed to promote regional economic cooperation. However, it
has made only middling progress. Each time, the SAARC Summit
has ended with relative disappointment, as was the case in
Kathmandu this year. Like previous summits, it became a
hostage to India-Pakistan bilateral issues.
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A bitter pill for doctors, pharma companies
The
Asian Age, January 06, 2015
By Pradeep S Mehta
The ‘symbiotic’
relationship between the pharma industry and medical
professionals has greater implications for developing
countries such as India, with high private participation in
healthcare sector. Many doctors often prescribe a particular
brand of medicine for personal gains. To curb this unethical
practice, the long awaited Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical
Marketing Practices (UCPMP) is finally seeing the light at
the end of the tunnel. Alas, it does not cover unnecessary
diagnostic tests and surgeries. Yet, it covers a large area
in our healthcare system’s distortions.
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When the regulatory apparatus falls flat
The Hindu Business
Line, January 02, 2015
By Pradeep S Mehta
During a recent
star-studded seminar in Mumbai on the Indian Financial Code,
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government wished to
implement a large number of recommendations of the Financial
Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC), including a
cost-benefit analysis of regulations. He said the government
had set up four task forces to study the IFC. These
recommendations are in tune with the government’s agenda to
ease doing business in India. As a result of erratic,
unpredictable and frequently changing policies, the cost of
doing business is a big problem. Compliance with costly,
multiple and antiquated directives of regulatory or
government agencies is a burden on enterprises; it
eventually smothers economic growth.
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