Dr Adel Abdellatif is the chief of the Regional Programme Division in UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States and is based in New York. In his current capacity, he coordinates and oversees the publication of the flagship Arab Human Development Report. Prior to this, Abdellatif established and led UNDP’s Programme of Governance in the Arab Region, a catalytic programme advocating
Till a decade ago, Nagrota was a quaint town one would pass through when travelling on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. From Jammu, it’s an enjoyable drive on the 20-km road snaking along the Ramnagar wildlife sanctuary – a trekkers’ paradise – to Nagrota. For the people of Jammu, the Ramnagar forest, spread over 30 sq km, is the source of ‘manda’, the Do
Dr KC Chakrabarty, former deputy governor, Reserve Bank of India, headed currency management at the central bank before taking premature retirement in March 2014. Known for his frank and candid views, Chakrabarty explains to Geetanjali Minhas why he is a critic of demonetisation and its implementation. PM Narendra Modi’s de
Pandit Birju Maharaj is a living legend and an institution in himself. He represents Kalka-Bindadin gharana of Lucknow. He has mesmerised artists and audiences in India and abroad with his Kathak skills. He is also an accomplished vocalist and musician. He can play all string instruments like Sitar, Sarod, Violin and Sarangi. His choreography in Bollywood films like Devdas, Umrao Jaan, Dedh
The year 2014 saw the publication of the memoirs of a former CAG of India, Vinod Rai, and this year another former member of this prestigious constitutional body has penned an account of his time as an auditor (and also administrator while on deputation). Parimal Brahma’s book tal
How do you see demonetisation as a way of curbing black economy? Demonetisation is not the way to tackle black economy. The reason is that the black money is in circulation; it is not held at home. The RBI has issued currency notes worth Rs17 lakh crore, and of that 85 percent is in Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. Also, out of this, bulk would be with businesses for their wo
How effective is the Mine Ban Treaty since most of the big states are not yet signatories to it? The Mine Ban Treaty has created a very strong norm on the prohibition of the use of landmines. Actually, 80 percent of the world’s countries [are signatories to] the Ban Treaty and acting on it. Even among those relatively few states that have not yet got
How effective is the Mine Ban Treaty since most of the big states like the US, Russia, India, China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are not yet signatories to it? With 162 state parties, the Mine Ban Treaty encompasses more than 80 percent of the countries in the world. The 35 states that have not banned landmines nonetheless are almost all complying with key provisio
Emotional appeal is one of the sharpest swords of advertising. That it is double-edged becomes evident only when it fails. One such failure is an ad from the Federation of All-India Farmer Associations (FAIFA), displayed of late on the rexine hoods of some auto-rickshaws in Delhi. It shows a turbaned tobacco farmer, hands folded in supplication, and is captioned: `Protect our livelihood. Save l
As part of the government, how do you look at demonetisation? It’s by far the bold… the boldest of all the steps, in line with several other steps the government has undertaken since 2014, to make the economy robust and transparent. The government has taken steps to set up SIT [to unearth black money], the passing of the Benami [Property] Act, asked
As the dust settles on the US presidential elections and analysts discuss Donald Trump’s victory threadbare, the larger question on what this upset victory portends for the US and for the world at large will continue to be a part of the intellectual discourse and common man’s discussions. For sure, the world we live in today is very different from what we had imagined. Eminent comme
Geeta Chandran is a well-known Bharatanatyam artist. She has founded the dance academy, Natya Vriksha, which has travelled across the globe for promotion of Bharatanatyam. She has contributed in Carnatic music, television, theatre, choreography and dance training. She has also presented many performances in India and abroad to raise funds for social causes. Chandran has received several prestig
“It’s a war; it’s a mahayajnya. You have to decide on whose side you are.” -- M Venkaiah Naidu, in parliament on November 17 In its well-intentioned but misconceived war on black money, the government has obviously bitten off more than it can chew. A wide spectrum of people and political leaders (includin
Will the release of GE mustard reduce oilseed imports? Saying that GE mustard will slash the oil import bill is just baloney. Farmers are not able to make money from the farm. You enable the farmer to make money from mustard or pulses or anything else, and you will have production. Look at the product honestly and evaluate it on the basis if this product is really goi
If the GE mustard hybrid was developed in 2002, why has the environment ministry not taken a decision on it yet? Nobody had the guts to release it, and till today, it’s the same story. The ideology behind not clearing it is so dumb that it is difficult to explain. This country is divided into two sides, the left and the right. They don’t agree on an
Coming from a family of farmers in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has made it big in the Hindi film industry. Beginning his career as a theatre actor, the National School of Drama alumnus struggled to break the stereotype of a conventional hero. After several less-noticed performances, Nawazuddin bagged the Jury Award at the 2012 national film awards. He has pl
The recent decision of the central government to ban NDTV India has raised concerns regarding the rights of free press in India. Mostly, people are using the ‘freedom of speech & expression’ interchangeably with the rights of a free press. But are both one and the same? The constitution of India guarantees freedom of speech and expr
Many women in Ballia, UP, say it is difficult for them to collect even a small amount for refilling gas. We frankly don’t have a clear answer to that. But it is firstly important for us to convince the women and other people and educate them about the benefits of LPG. Once they are convinced they will find a way to save money. There are people from these vill
Subedar Grewal’s decision to consume poison and kill himself over One Rank One Pension (OROP) has brought back into sharp focus an emotive issue that has seen veterans waging a battle over what they perceive as something that is unfair and unjust. The veterans are right. The government needs to pay serious attention to their demands and quickly remove the ano
The Tata-Mistry melee prompts a reassessment of the institution of independent directors and the role they play in ensuring effective corporate governance in India. Though independent directors are often expected to protect the interests of minority shareholders, their foremost duty is to act for the benefit of the company as a whole. The independent director
