The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
Sometimes major events completely disconnected may be data points for the plans of the different powers around the world. The challenge is to discern what purpose they serve? More critically, what are we moving towards?
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
Whatever the ministers may keep saying about the economy and washing their hands off of the mess that the Indian economy has become now, but the common man in India knows the truth!
Almost all – a staggering 92% – the Indians today feel that their economic problems are because of their Government. A small number – 17% – also believe that banks and financial institutions are to blame.
Some more interesting results:
Percentage of people who were satisfied with the direction of the country has fallen from 51% to 38% in just one year. This probably means that Team Anna and Baba Ramdev’s agitations have at least impacted 13% of the people to change their view about the coming danger.
While every one from the erstwhile Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to the PM and economist, Dr. Singh keep painting the rosy picture; the Indians’ “crowd-sourced” figure of the growth rate for 2012 is 6.9.
The four main reasons for erasing the confidence of the prople in the UPA led Government are: Slow pace of reforms, huge fiscal deficit, rising inflation, corruption and a falling rupee
People in the other emerging countries [China (83 per cent), Germany (73%), Brazil (65%) and Turkey (57%)] do believe that the current economic conditions are good in their country.
In fact they are optimistic that future will be good. Brazilians (84%), Chinese (83%) and Tunisians (75%) and relatively optimistic Americans (52%), Mexicans (51%) and Egyptians (50%). Only 45% Indian believe so.
People who are the most angry against their Governments, bring Indians very close to the Pakistanis right now. Here are the infamous countries: Pakistanis (95% blame the government as a primary or secondary culprit), Indians (92%), the Mexicans (91%), the Japanese (91%), the Czechs (91%) and the Poles (90%).
What this poll shows is that the Indians are extremely angry against their Government. In many ways, ordinary Indian can cut through the chase and get to the core issues facing everyone. For, they have done a rather good job.
The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
This visit of India left me with many questions. Many observations and inputs from different people and sections. Food for thought that I have tried to contemplate on and make sense of. Sharing all that with you.
When you analyze the last 60 years of the economic miracles of Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia versus the continued impoverished Indian economy, you get very interesting lessons. Can Indians have the wherewithal in them to do in one generation so that the coming generations may rise?
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