Walter Williams Best Moments

Professor Walter E. Williams (1936-2020) died

What some of my economics professors could not teach about economics in schools and college, was taught by eminent American free market economist and popular professor Dr Walter E Williams who died last week. Although, I have learned a holistic meaning of economic principles from his vast writings.  

"Never trying to wow students with his credentials, Williams taught the principles of economics, which he thought of as common sense. Every year, upon completing his Ph.D.-level microeconomics class (no easy feat), Williams treated his students to food and drinks. He was impatient with nonsense, but he was never impatient with the process of learning. The number of students who benefitted from his genius are too many to count. Many of them are now teachers themselves, passing on Williams’ teaching to even more minds." More here from his true student.

Here are some of the brilliant true to this greatest free market economics:

Walter E. Williams, 84, Dies; Conservative Economist on Black Issues

Walter Williams was a prophet of freedom

Walter Williams, R.I.P. and here

Walter E. Williams, free-market economist, anti-government commentator, dies at 84

Costs must be weighed against benefits

India Needs Dynamic Ecosystems for Making Smart Cities Work

I have new article on Smart Cities Initiatives in India published by the CPPR. In India, the cities are still governed by State capitals and National Capital instead of decentralized form of governance to improve for ease of living by all means.

The piece mainly discusses the below issues:

"As part of the smart cities initiatives guidelines, the Union Ministry of Urban Development had notified in September 2016 to create a City-Level Advisory Forum (CLAF) comprising all major stakeholders including elected representatives of that city, local youth, technical experts, associations of taxpayers, residents’ welfare, trade and commerce associations, etc. However, this Forum was not functional until recently and most Smart Cities in the country including Tamil Nadu were created this year or in the last few months only."

A New Idea Of India: Harsh M, Rajeev Mantri, & Swati Sharma In Conversat...

Part 2 | A New Idea Of India: Manish Sabharwal, Harsh Madhusudan, Rajeev...

Part 1| A New Idea of India: Roshan Cariappa In Conversation With Harsh ...

Interesting reading

I have read the following some of the interesting articles and research papers:

1. Silicon Valley star is now teacher in Tamil Nadu, says busy with new start-up — rural school
2. Why rice-eaters are from Venus and others from Mars 
3. "his frequent warnings that ‘governments do not understand the implications of their intervention’, and he would often speak about the vast disconnect between the metropolis and the village, the city and the countryside."
4. Five Factors That Helped Rural India Continue Driving Indian Economy In September
5. "a discredited economic model that undermines the benefits of competitive markets – a model relying on the misguided tryst with socialism that never delivered India’s tryst with destiny."
6. "It is dismaying that opinion makers market Dalit poverty and atrocities more than Dalit professionals competing globally."

Chakravarti Vijayaragavachariar – The Lion from The South!

I have new article in the Spontaneous Order Website of Centre for Civil Society, a classical liberal think tank in India. This is my nineteenth article on forgotten Indian liberal scholars and thinkers whom the left intellectuals were always treated as untouchables for well known reasons. These left leaning thinkers include economists, social scientists, etc. 

I have also published the same article in Tamil Magazine in this month edition here.

Mostly, it is not possible to get publish an article in more than one languages at a time.

"Vijayaraghavachariar supported the non-violent approach publicly. Lord Birkenhead, the Secretary of State of India had once stated that Indians were incapable of drafting their own constitution. Vijayaraghavachariar took up the challenge and prepared the Swaraj Constitution of India (1930). He wanted a strong central government and therefore had proposed a Unitary Constitution."

One of great Indian women economist, Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia passed away

Today, one of rare and great Indian woman economist Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia has passed away.

She was known as multi-personality as professional economist, institution builder and public policy expert. She was internationally well known economist and public policy expert on range of issues from industrial development, urban development, social sectors, etc.

She was one of few economists in India who boldly criticized the economic policies of socialist era which failed miserably by creating poverty and scarcity killing of millions of people.

A decade ago, she wrote column in The Indian Express about case studies of urban issues and challenges which is not only a bottom up approach to read the public policies but also provided a global view upon which she was closely connected and bridged the policy nexus. Later,the articles were put together in book form, which again was most interesting reading.  

Here are few links to news items on her career and achievements over many decades.

Economist Isher Judge Ahluwalia passes away after 10-month battle with brain cancer

Noted economist Isher Judge Ahluwalia, who broke many glass ceilings, dies at 74

Isher Judge Ahluwalia, noted economist and Padma Bhushan awardee, passes away

Padma Bhushan Economist Isher Judge Ahluwalia Dies Aged 74, Punjab CM Mourns Loss

More: 1, 2, 3

Prof S.Ambirajan’s Thoughts on Development Economics

I have new article on forgotten Indian economic thoughts. This one explains the forgotten development economics ideas of Professor S Ambirajan. 

"On the growth of population, Prof Ambirajan firmly believed that “Generally a rapid rise in population accompanies rapid economic development” and “economic development alone can be the effective remedy to the threat of overpopulation.” According to him, “Economic development is but one of the many factors that determine a country’s or a community’s prosperity. Without social betterment and general cultural progress, mere economic development can have no meaning for us.” 

Challenges of Productive Employment Creation in India

I have new article on the institutional governance issues faced by employment sector in India. 

"The COVID-19 pandemic has paved a holistic structure for the implementation of a set of policies and programmes through the States with the help of technologies for reporting systems for all infected persons, tracking them, etc. At the end of the day, some status reports are put out for the public and it helps everybody from global monitoring agencies to the local public to be informed about the status of diseases spread. 

We need a similar or better-improved model through technology-driven governance structure for transparent decision making along with accountability for every other sector, especially the public healthcare system, modernisation of primary health centres, district hospitals, insurance policies of governments, etc. 

Similarly, we need to reinvent the entire social sectors such as the education and skill training sector as well as the labour and employment sector with a more robust mechanism to fulfill the aspirations of youth and educated graduates for finding livelihoods and employment opportunities, and to make their dreams come true in a more blended way. Are our top policymakers paying attention to the ground realities and the dismal situation of the employment sector? Only time will!" 

Human beings are cooperative by nature

 Here is a very interesting interview on new book Human Kind: A hopeful history by historian Rutger Bregman.

I particularly, I like the below Q and A:

In the book, you point a finger at the media for spreading cynicism and highlighting, if not sometimes exaggerating, the worst part of humanity. What are your suggestions for the news industry?

It’s important to make a distinction between the news and journalism. The news is about recent, incidental and sensational events. It’s mostly about exceptions. So if you follow a lot of the news, and you only hear about these exceptions, then at the end of the day you’ll know exactly how the world does not work. And you’ll be quite pessimistic as well. Psychologists have a term for this: "mean world syndrome".

I think it’s important that journalists zoom out, and focus on the bigger, structural forces that govern our lives. I also think it’s important that they are constructive. This means that they don’t just write about the problems, but also about the solutions, and the people who are helping us move forward.

You devote one part of the book to education, how seeing children as responsible and full of potential might actually help them grow. But do you have any tips for parents, on how they can educate children to be more compassionate and less cynical?

Children are born as emphatic and compassionate beings – so you don’t have to teach them generosity, it’s in their nature to be friendly. We know from scientific studies that infants as young as six months old can distinguish right from wrong and have a preference for the good over the bad. I think it’s important to design our education and our schools around that insight, to bring out the best in our kids. So don’t try to teach them to be cynical, but give them the freedom to play and explore. 

Factors of production and land titling polices, the need for reform

I have new piece on The Commune Magazine website. It talks about the broad contours of factors of production in India and its implications on economic growth and development.

It also talks about India's yet to realize the importance of proper land titling systems reforms with emphasis on private property rights which was originally adopted in the Indian Constitution.

The concluding para is below:

"The real antidote lies not on merely better governance systems through government alone but the most effective use of technology and communication systems. The land digitization process is underway since 2008, although in a slow space. Under Constitution, the subject of land is in the State list but States are not proactive to enact a comprehensive law to make an appropriate framework to govern on land tilting systems. Hence, there is a dire need for the Union Government to bring model legislation for a comprehensive titling system that can unleash the potential of Indian economy and help us increase the pace of realizing an Atmanirbhar Bharat."

Imprudent reading of NEP 2020 by political parties in Tamil Nadu

I have new article out on the above title in The Commune Magazine website. The piece is about the debate on New Education Policy 2020 announced by Government of India recently.

It is not surprising to see many political parties, NGOs and other agencies in Tamil Nadu are opposing without even going through the entire policy document which is very sad state of affairs.

This is nothing but literate with irresponsibility towards the society, against the national interest and also the Constitution.

Being literate in an language is not that one has to oppose everything proposed by the Government, which is completely hypocrisy.

I firmly believe that if you disagree honestly on an issue that is fine, but you cannot lie and create false narratives among people out rightly rejecting the entire policy document which also proves immaturity to be in public platform.

Rajaji on Communism and Indian Communists

I have new piece on the forgotten thoughts of India's one of greatest classical liberal thinker C.Rajagopalachari or Rajaji on Communism and the real nature of Indian Communists.

Few paras from the piece:

"Rajaji also understood the maligning method of human psychology used by Indian communists. He noted that “the Communists are humble in the beginning, how they are smooth and oily and get into every group and try to get first the G.C.M. as I would call it and then by multiplying it by a convenient figure get the L.C.M. ”. 

He further beautifully observed that “the Communists first find out the Greatest Common Measure of everybody who have grievances and take possession of the G.C.M. and then multiply it by a factor which I call exaggeration and the exaggerated G.C.M. becomes the L.C.M. the Least Common Multiple. This is the arithmetical formula of the Communists. I have not discovered it here. It has been discovered during the last few decades to be the process by which Communists are operating in Eastern Europe…The formula has not been discovered by the Communist Party here. It is the result of long research in human psychology. They know how to work on human psychology.”  

Across the world, the “Communism works through this G.C.M. method, it gets hold of the people and the industries, and then everything is changed. Let me warn the country and the people as to what will happen in any country where Communists are to rule. After all, the fruit is the test of the tree” said Rajaji.

Skill India Mission: Challenges and Opportunities

I have new article on the performance of Skill India Mission which was launched five years ago. The Mission faced many challenges and thereby achieved few outcomes of providing short term skills training to youth with job placements. A slice from the article is below:

"We need to break away from the structured perpetuating silos in social sector policies and focus on the web of skills through a decentralised manner in every sphere from kindergarten to university, thus enabling children and youth to get equipped and find opportunities anywhere in the world."

"I admire Rajaji because he had a vision for India"

This is an interesting interview of Maharani Gayatri Devi who was Swatantra Party Member of Parliament. 

MGD: I never regretted being in politics, I never regretted being in the Swatantra Party, I never regretted being a chela of Rajaji’s. He believed that India should be really free.

SG: If you look at the two personalities, he and Nehru, both towering personalities, where did they differ?

MGD: Both were great friends. When Pandit Nehru had to send somebody to America to talk to Kennedy, he chose Rajaji. I admire Rajaji because he had a vision for India.

India, China: ancient civilisations, different paths

I have new article in SO website by Centre for Civil Society.

My article on India- China's ancient civilisational roots and their social, economic and political paths looks what many commentators especially the strategic geo economic commentators tend to ignore the historical past, they go upto 1962 or the times of Nehru or Patel letters!

"If anything, India could do well to learn from Deng himself: “… political independence and economic independence are inseparable. Without political independence, it is impossible to achieve economic independence; without economic independence, a country’s independence is incomplete and insecure.” With such leaders at the helm, little wonder that China has reached the stage it has."

The Life and Legacy of VKRV Rao

Embracing Decentralisation to Speed-up Smart Cities Projects

I have new article in the CPPR blog about the assessment of five years of implementation of smart cities projects in India:

The main arguments are in the below para:

"The dismal performances of Smart City Mission projects are attributed to many elements such as lack of good governance and decentralisation at urban local bodies’ level even after the Constitutional Amendments made close to three decades ago. Moreover, Smart City Mission projects mainly were faced with lack of political leadership to drive effective transformations at national, state and city levels; the lethargic bureaucratic planning, project designs minus citizens’ participation; complete dilution of mission guidelines and norms of special purpose vehicles (SPVs); not including subject experts from industry and public policy practitioners in the planning stage itself; lack of transparency in detailed projects preparations by private consultancy firms; and more importantly, corruption in tendering process with political interferences, especially in Tamil Nadu. Also, there were no links between the actual projects initiated and initial reports prepared by private consulting firms involving citizens for feedback."

Nani Palkhivala and C Rajagopalachari Speeches-1971

An Economist Looks at 90: Tom Sowell on Charter Schools and Their Enemies

S Ambirajan’s forgotten classic `A Grammar of Indian Planning (1959)’

This is my second article on Prof.S.Ambirajan's liberal economic thoughts. His works are largely forgotten and conveniently neglected for decades in India. And the reasons are well known. 

A para from my second piece which was out yesterday in the Spontaneous Order website of Centre for Civil Society, New Delhi.

His observations on Prime Minister Nehru, who became a hero of Independent India, where even Patel and Rajaji were ignored, are perceptive indeed. “In a sense, our, Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, is our greatest asset, for while he enjoys the prestige and wields the authority of a dictator, he has also the emotional nuances and ready adaptability of a true democrat. Even as he is conscious of the possibilities of planning, he is not unwilling at the same time to acknowledge the limitations of democratic planning. But the Prime Minister is not the whole of the administration, and there is always the danger that circumstances may turn the best asset into a dangerous liability. The Prime Minister should be an example, not a glittering facade for others to hide behind and pursue their respective ends.”

Imperatives for Power Sector Reforms in Tamil Nadu

This is my piece on reforms of power sector in Tamil Nadu and its political economics. 

I have concluded the piece with the below para:

"To make the State power sector commercially viable and more sustainable for all stakeholders, the concessions enjoyed by the industry have to be revised on priority. Otherwise, TANGEDCO would become bankrupt and cause problems for all customers. Therefore, the State must take up reforms in the power sector and strengthen them for sustaining an efficient and competitive economy."

Prof S Ambirajan – the forgotten liberal political economist (1936-2001)

                                      Photo by Dr Prema Nandakumar, sister of Prof S Ambirajan                                                     
This was my piece out few days ago on one of the greatest Indian political economists in the twentieth century.

Prof Ambirajan was a prolific writer for over four decades and published more than two dozen scholarly books and monographs, among other works, which were appreciated among renowned scholars across the world. He wrote hundreds of articles and columns in The Hindu and The Economic Times for several years. Sad to say, but his scholarly works have found more takers abroad than in his own country or state, where his papers have not been accorded the respect they deserve.

SV Chitti Babu, academician, educationist and reformer par excellence (1920-2020)

I had a piece on the great education thinker Prof SV.Chitti Babu in SO.

Prof Chitti Babu's pragmatic views and suggestions were welcomed by one and all, as they provided succour to everyone who sought help. The nonagenarian headed many committees and commissions, co-opting himself in the role of even a simple member in committees related to the education sector, both in Tamil Nadu and the national level.

'Surender Modi'? Congress Hypocrisy And Rahul Gandhi's Poor Response To ...

Eminent Economist Prof. A.Vaidyanathan-1931-2020

On 10th June, eminent economist and Prof A.Vaidyanathan passed away at Coimbatore city in Tamil Nadu. 

He had professional career ranging from economic policy institute to government, academic teaching and research, and grass-rout movements for making difference in environment, rural livelihood etc. 

He was known for multi-facets of economics, in terms of his professional contribution to the areas such as policy research, empirical research studies, public policy, and a gamut of sectoral issues and challenges. 

He was moreover known as data driven economist of any sort, but the data must be the critical sources for any findings and inferences to be drawn upon it. 

The following are some of the obit articles and news items written by various people including some were close to him.


Business Today - Remembering India's Data Man- Prof Vaidyanathan

The Wire- someone knew him very closely 

Remembering A. Vaidyanathan, the Scholar Who Changed the Role of Data in India

The Indian Express-A Vaidyanathan’s pioneering work on agriculture remains a reference point

The Hindu-In search of What and Why?

  

Odd reading on Indian economy

“By FY18, NPAs in the Indian banking system stood at Rs 10.35lakh crore or 9.3% of all advances and loans. 85% of these related to PSBs.While some of these loans reflected bad commercial decisions; some reflectedulterior motives – attributable to the decision makers themselves, or thepersons at whose behest they acted.”

Importantly, waiving of interest is an issue in distributive policy, beyond the purview of banks, and clearly in the domain of the government. Note that when the government decided to waive farm loans, it bore the burden by itself, did not pass it on to banks. Similarly in this case too, if some concession has to be accorded to borrowers, the cost has to be borne by the government.

At the Congress session, Naoroji declared: “Whether I am a Hindu, a Muhammadan, a Parsi, a Christian, or of any other creed, I am above all an Indian. Our country is India, our nationality is Indian."

Cho Ramaswamy: India’s classical satirist and liberal, 1934-2016

I have a new piece on "Cho Ramaswamy: India’s classical satirist and liberal, 1934-2016"

A slice from the piece"

"Cho Ramaswamy was a multi-faceted personality, a scholar, thinker and above all, a man opposed to the tyranny of Dravidian politics. He was among the few political analysts who had a fine balance of reason and logic. He used them to impact public policy with the help of humour, sarcasm and biting satire." 

Need to Rope in Private Sector Hospitals in the Fight against COVID

I have new article on why we "Need to Rope in Private Sector Hospitals in the Fight against COVID"

My key points are as follows:

"Why is there no effort from the Union Government to bring out a comprehensive policy framework to engage private hospitals across the country to augment the efforts of public health systems in the fight against COVID-19?"

"Lack of a unified public policy to rope in private hospitals paves only confusion and contradiction in the collective fight against the pandemic."

We should make a strategic plan for effective partnership with private hospitals and make them part of the country’s strategy in the fight against COVID-19." 

Forgotten Speeches of GK Sundaram – Part II

This is my second piece on two part articles on speeches of Swatantra Party leader GK Sundaram in the Upper House of Indian Parliament as Member in the late 60 and early 70s of socialist era. 

He was a pioneering entrepreneur for several decades experiencing the socialist economic policies which hit him very badly. 

In way, he had suffered both ways in terms of losing personal freedom to do and also in business professionally. Unlike others, he was lucky to see the economic freedom that was unleashed in the 90s.  

Many people do not know that Sundaram was the one who exposed the political party corruptions indulged by Motilal Nehru in the pre-Independent India. Similarly, he exposed the political party corruptions indulged by Jawaharlal Nehru in the post Independent India. 

From the piece:

"Sundaram had criticised The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Bill, 1967 on the ground that "The development of big installations and their economic production is very well known all over the country and even in our country in some of the public sector undertakings we are going in for bigger and bigger installations so as to be economic. All other countries the world over are going in for that whereas we are going in the other direction."

Self-reliant India, as New Economic Model

Economist S Gurumuthy's analysis of Indian economy is always different and fascinating on many counts. In a recent Interview to a English magazine, he said:

"The illiterate economic thinkers and institutions in India, whose training is based on foreign ideas and theories, have not been able to come to terms with the diversity of India. The financial model applicable to listed companies is being thrust on the rest of the economy. The swadeshi approach calls for factoring in the diversities of India. Actually, jobs are provided only by the MSMEs which are the backbone of the economy. This was understood only after Modi constituted the Mudra finance plan. So jobs will be generated only through bottom upwards and top-down economic model which will suit only the cosmopolitan kind of society."

and on internal migration issues:

"This problem is there, but it is blown out of proportion. Let us look at the facts. There are 31 crore intra and interstate migrants in India according to 2011 census. Out of that 4.2 crores are interstate migrants. How many out of that are going back? Not even 10%. When you are planning a lockdown you cannot give two days or even ten days time for people to move. That would have led to chaos and stampede. Particularly when they did not know how long it would take to flatten the curve. So the migrant issue is a creation of the media and the opposition."

Forgotten Speeches of GK Sundaram – Part I

                                           GK Sundaram-1914-2009

I have piece on GK Sundaram's forgotten speeches delivered in Indian Parliament when he was leader of Swatantra Party during the socialist era of Indira Gandhi.

Here is a slice from the piece:

In August 1969, Sundaram suggested the following eight measures to the government for framing pragmatic policies towards economic growth and inclusive development:

“(1) First and foremost is payment by result in industrial, agricultural, private, public, Government and other fields. This alone can achieve the goal. You may verify that countries which have devalued have stabilised their economy by sheer work. By hard work only they have come up and not by just planning or by fooling the people. 

(2) A substantial reduction in taxation is absolutely necessary to rebuild the industrial development. 

(3) We do not want an Everest effort. An earnest effort is necessary in agricultural production which we never had all these 15 years. 

(4) We must create confidence and give opportunity for the people to invest in industry. 

(5) Then, industrial development should not be impeded by controls. We must be free from controls. 

(6) Industry must have adequate rupee finance. At least, if you cannot provide with your money, do not stop them from getting it. 

(7) Provide enough incentive for exports wherever it is found absolutely necessary. 

(8) And last of all, reduce your expenditure drastically, whether it is private or public sector, but never attempt deficit financing either openly or secretly. 

The strength of the currency ultimately depends upon the level and growth of production. Economic policies should be made liberal, planning realistic and administration efficient.”

Mariadas Ruthnaswamy: Liberal Educationalist, Statesman and Writer

My new piece on forgotten history of India liberalism and economic thoughts. The piece is about great liberal scholar Mariadas Ruthnasamy, who was nominated twice to Indian upper house of the parliament in the high days socialism in India in the 60s and 70s.

A slice from the piece:

"Throughout his life, Mariadas Ruthnaswamy championed the pivotal role of the principles of liberty, equality, and economic freedom. He was an untiring reader and authored several books wherein the assimilation of his thinking and mastery over the issues of India covering several centuries is truly mesmerizing. He was profoundly active with reading and writing even at the age of 92, days before his death in June 1977. Alas, many of his great works were consciously marginalised by propagandists even after the fact that he was a scholar from the minority community. His own community itself had treated his works as untouchable because he was a distinguished scholar and thinker of classical liberal principles."

Political Economy of Tamil Nadu

I have a new piece on political economy of Tamil Nadu and its high growth trajectory. A slice from the piece below:

 

"However, despite their divisive polity, a competitive spirit can be seen among the leaders across the political spectrum towards inclusive development and growth of Tamil Nadu. At times, it is astonishing to see a sustained progress of the Tamil Nadu economy compared to other states in India. What drives Tamil Nadu is its core competence and capacities of sectors like healthcare and nutrition, education and entrepreneurship which are the main ingredients of the State’s sustained high growth trajectory. The average growth rate in the two decades following liberalisation was 7 per cent per annum."

GA Natesan (1874-1949): Liberal Scholar and Publisher

I have a new piece on Indian economic thoughts, this piece is about life and works of G A Natesan (1874-1949). He was doyen of publisher of all kinds of works in Tamil languages and English during the British India. Moreover, he was liberal scholar and wrote several books and edited many besides editing the The Indian Review journal for five decades.

Here is a slice from the piece:

"In 1917, Natesan wrote a book on “What India Wants: Autonomy Within the Empire” presenting the case for liberty, freedom, self-government through constitutional reform and urged for providing opportunities to educated Indians in all branches of the British government. Gandhi, PS Sivasamy Aiyer, and VS Srinivasa Sastri wrote forewords to the book which presented with historical views of various Indian and British intellectuals who voiced for advancing the complete freedom from British for various countries including India. In the preface, GA Natesan noted that – “I have also endeavoured to show that the constitutional reforms now urged by the Indian people through their leading political organisations are in the line of continuous growth of the Indian polity and involve no violent departure from the principles or methods hitherto recognised by authority”. He believed that maintaining law and order, by all means, is a must for any government in society. Therefore he strongly opposed Gandhi for provoking the country towards civil disobedience movement." 

Prof Deepak Lal passed away at 80

                                        Prof Deepak Lal: 1940-2020

Extremely sad to hear that Prof Deepak Lal has passed away on 30.04.2020. He was 80. One of the greatest classical liberals of twentieth century, I had privilege of meeting him in Delhi several years ago.

He had planned to visit India couple of months ago but due to hit of coronovirus, he was stuck at London.

When the climate mania was in debate Prof Deepak Lal wrote several articles (in Business Standards) with historical data on the belief o the myths of one-side understanding of climate change. It was very insightful articles but many would disagree and they cannot ignore it.

• the “technocratic public economics approach to public policy” as he put it, “is ahistorical, suffers from amnesia concerning the history of economic thought, is ideological insofar as it sets up egalitarianism as a self‐​evident objective of public policy, is institutionally impoverished and, most seriously, makes assumptions about the character of most governments which—to put it mildly—are not universally valid!”

His web page at UCLA has kept almost all of his works here.

The following are Obituaries on Prof Deepak Lal's life and work:

Classicism and liberalism were two values that defined the man by TCA Srinivasa Raghavan

For a conservative, Deepak Lal saw deep strengths in India's civil society by Suman Bery

Profound philosopher in all travails & joys of life and living by Mani Shankar Aiyer

Cato Institute's obituary

• His book, The Poverty of “Development Economics,” published by the Institute of Economic Affairs in 1983 and subsequently revised and expanded, is still one of the best critiques available of the thinking that dominated, and to some degree still informs, development economics.

A friend of mine had reviewed one Prof Lal's book in Livemint is here.

Interesting Read

The following are some interesting reading, i happen to read and ponder!

1. China’s opacity contributed to spiralling corona infections and deaths. Its geopolitical effects will be long lasting
2. UN, WTO and now WHO: Ailing acronyms all
3. Was Islamic Conquest of India Easy for Muslim Invaders
4. The saga of lockdown: India has shown extraordinary solidarity, forbearance and leadership skills
5. A perception battle too is going on

Tomorrow is 129th Birth Anniversary of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar

Tomorrow is 129th Birth Anniversary of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar

Leaders in the past and present time have misused the life and works of Ambedkar for the individual's vested interests, petty polity which Ambedkar clearly explained through his many works not to do ever..

the biggest sin is hero worship in the name of non believing this god or other....

more than that few even went to the extent to say, Ambedkar never said anything about free market economics or wealth creation with minimum state.... its sad some are in Jail now!!

The following are my tribute to B R Ambedkar's free market economic thoughts..... so far none could substantially disagree because i did not distorted the history like few others.

Indeed, few dalit capitalists have actually cherish over my works on Ambedkar!!

1. Ambedkar, the forgotten free-market economist, Pragati: The Indian National Interest Review, April 2011

2. Ambedkar: The Forgotten Free Market Economist by Balakrishnan Chandrasekaran, September 13, 2014, Swarjya Magazine,

3. The Untouchable Case for Indian Capitalism By B. Chandrasekaran, May 31, 2011, The Wall Street Journal Asia.

4. B.R.Ambedkar, The Greatest Free Market Economist Of India by Balakrishnan Chandrasekaran, January 23, 2014, Swarjya Magazine,

Interesting Reading

The following are some of interesting analysis of ongoing Coronavirus and its implications on Indian economy and the world.

The court should not make 'policy' for government..... to implement rather it should be only sticking to the law.

A production model that could guide an economic resumption

The Threat from the Tablighi Jamaat

After China & WHO failed to take proactive measures, response by Modi led India is sustained & Participatory

Economic Policy in the Age of Coronavirus

The following are two interesting discussion on post COVID19 economic reforms and possible global order for trade and technology & services.

ToI Co-hosts Arvind Panagariya and Pravin Krishna speak with Sajjid Chinoy, Chief India Economist of JPMorgan, on the economic impact of and policy response to Covid-19.

Prof RV on how the World is going to change post-COVID-19 P1

Is Full Lockdown The Only COVID-19 Prescription? Talk With Dr V Anantha ...

‘Too Soon to Say Lockdown Was Needed, Any Extension Mustn’t Be Nationwid...

GK Sundaram: Swatantra’s Forgotten Tamil Leader

From my recent piece on GKSundaram (1914-2009), a tall classical liberal leader in Swatantra Party in Tamil Nadu:

"Rajaji had high regard for Sundaram’s leadership skills and abilities; thus, he was nominated as Swatantra Party Member to the Rajya Sabha and served from 1968 to 1974. As a member of Rajya Sabha, he actively participated in debates and contributed to the house from the perspectives of liberal principles. Sundaram’s speeches on deliberations on the Delhi Motor Vehicles Act, Gold Control Act, Nationalisation of Banks, Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, The Essential Commodities Act, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Bill, etc. were noteworthy and made the government rethink its ill-conceived policies.

GK Sundaram argued that the Gold Control Act “would increase smuggling” and also eventually create “harm to internal security” which was witnessed later until the 1991 reforms. He also vehemently criticised the bank nationalisation. Regarding the MRTP Act, he said that the government aimed to merely to enforce the command and control without the view to provide economic freedom to produce more domestically. He had warned the Union Government that the MRTP Act “could cause a lot of hassles in the long run”, which indeed it did."

The Forgotten Swatantra Party Leader in Tamil Nadu: G.K.Sundaram

Recently I read two articles on the Swatantra Party leader in Tamil Nadu GK Sundaram who was close associate of C.Rajagopalachari or Rajaji. These articles were published by Rajesh Govindarajulu in Simplycity Coimbatore.

The true history of Swatantra Party is yet to be written. Also the history of key leader of Tamil Nadu is also yet to be chronicled systematically. 

GK Sundaram's contribution to Swatantra Party in Tamil Nadu and national political economy is important but has been forgotten by all stakeholders.

Rajesh's two interesting articles are here and here.