Days are ahead when the rupee will tend to become fully convertible. Full convertibility means fully capital account convertibility in the balance of payment. It opens the market for foreign investors, businessmen and trade partners
Nepal’s Unemployment Crisis: Needed Transformational Leadership to Utilize Available Resources
Nepal's greatest shortage is not simply money or infrastructure; it is leaders who can use them well. Without the right leadership, resources remain locked in inefficiency, corruption, and bureaucratic gridlock.
Proxy Village Governance: The Pradhan Pati Problem in India's Democracy
It has been formally recognised in the Report of the Advisory Committee on Women Pradhans, Transforming Women’s Representation and Role in Panchayati Raj Institutions: Efforts to Eliminate Proxy Participation, which recorded that elected women representatives are often “represented by their husbands or male relatives” and recommended the imposition of stringent and exemplary penalties to curb such practices.
India's Student Revolt: South Asia Has Seen This Before
When economic transformation outpaces institutional renewal anywhere in South Asia, the gap between aspiration and opportunity becomes fertile ground for frustration, alienation, and political discontent. The leaked papers in India were only the trigger
India's Youth Eruption and Ham-Handed Governmental Response: Demeaning Student Power Can Prove Costly
The youth eruption is a consequence of pent-up anger and frustration of the government's indifference to the repeated leaks of exam question papers for which millions of doctor, engineer, police and civil service aspirants prepare for years. Over 20 students have reportedly committed suicide after the NEET exam paper leak for which they had toiled for over a year
More on Public Policy and Governance
Is Bangladesh heading for stagflation?
Bangladesh is going through a tough economic situation; the government’s two largest sources of foreign currency revenues are the export of readymade garment products and remittances from overseas. Remittances are already suffering
On their 75th independence anniversary, peace pilgrims from India bring message of love to Pakistan
This is part of a long tradition of celebrating the two countries’ independence days together, started by activists like the late Dr Mubashir Hasan, Nirmala Deshpande, Asma Jahangir, Kuldip Nayar, and others. Peace groups on either side have been doing this for a couple of decades now, even as administrations in both countries try to prevent them
Indian cultural diplomacy - and creation of a South Asian identity
The basis of all Indian philosophy is the recognition of divinity in the human species and giving respect to all faiths and shades of opinion
Indian Navy’s all-woman aircrew creates history
Over the years, women officers in the Indian armed forces have begun notching various types of achievements
Welfare spending is not freebie culture
It must be understood that welfare spending is essential to partly redress the widening inequality in Indian society
Ameliorate plight of cross-border prisoners: Joint appeal by South Asian organizations
Release prisoners on completion of jail term, decriminalise inadvertent border crossings, especially for fisherfolk and minors
Misuse of Indian Army uniforms has dangerous consequences: Army’s distinctiveness must remain paramount
Uncontrolled proliferation of the existing combat uniform has led to many cases of breach of security of military establishments and personnel and, while it has been a cause of concern, not enough action has been initiated
Save the children: Millions of children victims of acute malnutrition, hunger and diseases in Afghanistan; girls shut out of education
The country is already one of the worst places in the world to be a child, And, in the past year, the situation has become grimmer because of crippling poverty, violence, and drought, according to UNICEF.
Militants, separatists better than opposition: Imran Khan's remark shows Pakistan's deteriorating democracy
His remarks came days after some media reports indicated that the Pakistan Army could try to facilitate a dialogue or deal between Khan and the ruling coalition to create a consensus on early elections, which remains Khan's primary demand, writes Shraddha Nand Bhatnagar for South Asia Monitor
Pakistan’s ruling coalition dealt yet another blow, its legitimacy in crisis
The decision to oust Imran Khan ultimately allowed him to hijack the anti-establishment tag in his favour. Khan’s repeated reference to the government as the “imported government” and to the military as “neutrals” further reinforced his perception as a popular civilian leader
India's 15th President Droupadi Murmu, hailing from the tribal community, says she embodies dreams of the country's poor
In that sense, her choice by the dispensation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, otherwise seen as an autocratic leader who has been accused of undermining many of India's democratic institutions, is seen as nothing sort of revolutionary, both by the standard of the country's conservative political and social norms
Why is India resilient to oil volatility despite overdependence on imports?
In India over 75 per cent of electricity is generated from coal-based thermal plants. Oil accounts for less than 2 percent of electric power, writes S. Majumder for South Asia Monitor
South Asia does not value its manhours: Change working hours
The simplest solution will be to change working hours by advancing it to 0700 hours and ending the workday at 1530 hours, so that the entire working hours are during daylight hours, writes Amb Sarvajit Chakravarti (retd) for South Asia Monitor
China, India woo Nepal’s political parties ahead of general elections
Under no circumstances would New Delhi like to see a break in the recent momentum in bilateral relations generated through increased economic and developmental cooperation, even if there is a change of the government in Kathmandu later this year, writes Shraddha Nand Bhatnagar for South Asia Monitor
