Reports of Barun S. Mitra
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Can India bank on its banks?
As the ratio of nonperforming assets in India’s banking sector rises, there have been loud calls for reform. The condition of loan portfolios at state-controlled banks is now so parlous that it is choking off the availability of new credit and forcing the government into ever more ambitious recapitalization schemes. ...
As Indian agriculture expands, farmers and reform prospects suffer
India’s food output has nearly quadrupled over the past 50 years, but farm households – more than half the country’s population – are in some ways worse off. Rural distress is weighing on the country’s politics and eroding the government’s political base. If India wants to follow the path of ...
Modi unlikely to overhaul India’s state-owned giants
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power under the slogan “the business of government is not business,” but his administration has been slow in privatizing or “disinvesting” from the hundreds of inefficient companies owned by the state. In fact, it has moved actively to maximize the revenue the government ...
Democracy in crisis
The liberal democratic order has been losing its appeal for years as politics has come to depend more on loyalty to a leader than adherence to ideology. As opposing sides coalesce around increasing the power of the state, they focus on attacking personalities rather than policies. This has led to ...
Bangladesh faces threat of sectarian violence as leaders jockey for power
Forty-five years after Independence, Bangladesh stands at the edge of the precipice. Restoration of democracy in 1991 has spurred economic and social development, but these gains are being undone by violent religious fundamentalism. Two formidable women, the leaders of Bangladesh’s main political parties, are using these radicals in a proxy ...
India, a nation where few pay income tax
A low tax base, poor tax compliance and ineffective, often abusive tax administration not only have constrained Indian governments’ revenue, but also hampered growth and Indian society’s capacity to hold the government accountable. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen to focus on the Goods and Services Tax ...
India’s push for land reform needs people power
Poor property records have proven a major obstacle to economic development in India. Their slipshod quality leads to property disputes, corruption and social problems. Numerous Indian government initiatives to digitize these records have had mixed results. But authorities will have to look beyond IT solutions – empowering citizens and eliminating ...
India 2016: strong growth, troubling political scenario
In May 2016, Narendra Modi will complete the second year of his five-year term as India’s prime minister. In the past, this milestone marked the beginning of rapid decline for several of his predecessors. While Mr. Modi’s political stature remains tall and the country’s economy has been expanding at a ...
