There comes a time in the life of governments when people start to view them with cynicism. That moment appears to have come for the UPA government. 


Absurd governance

Business Standard

Investors should have little to complain about in the five-fold rise in cash balances with Indian companies. Normally, having a large amount of idle cash in the balance sheet is frowned upon by

Good going

The civil aviation ministry seems to be hyper-active. Most of the time, the results have been beneficial, but that is not always the case. 


Anti-competitive

While its early days yet, the provisional data seem to suggest that the introduction of the value-added tax, or VAT, has lead to an increase in tax compliance in exactly the manner as was suggested

VAT works

The recommendation by a committee of the Forward Markets Commission (FMC) to make physical delivery compulsory for outstanding positions on the expiry of a commodity futures contract has raised a

Moving the wrong way

Now that the Synergy in Energy committee has rejected the petroleum ministrys view that the state-owned oil firms need to be merged, the ministry is reviewing whether the report should be accepted or

Old w(h)ine

Currency uncertainty should now be added to the imponderables affecting the software industry, especially with the prospect of the rupee appreciating along with a floating yuan. Last quarters results

Bracing against uncertainty

The World Trade Organisations (WTO) general council, scheduled to meet in Geneva from Wednesday, has its task cut out. 


Basis for talks

There is a view that effective central banking in this era of deep global economic integration works on two tenets. First, of all the variables that a central bank can aspire to influence, domestic

Virtues of inaction

The proposal that all city gas distribution, such as by Indraprastha Gas in Delhi and Mahanagar Gas in Mumbai, should be given exclusive marketing rights, and that these be bid for, might appear to be

No more monopolies

Chinas reported offer to transfer its silk production technology to India, in return for withdrawing the anti-dumping cases against imports from that country, merits serious consideration. 


Silken move

Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) is owned by the government of Gujarat, and presumably that is why the announcement that the company had struck a natural gas reservoir of an estimated 20

Gas troubles

Given its parentage, the report of the JJ Irani Committee on Company Law contains provisions that are by and large acceptable to corporate India, and takes care of their problems with the rigid

The pendulum swings

The Indian software and services industry, which includes business process outsourcing (or BPO), is in robust health and globally competitive, going by the figures the industry body Nasscom released

On course

The problems that the government has faced in announcing price hikes in a variety of petroleum productsto reflect their current costare entirely the governments own creation. 


Self-inflicted

While the government has been talking of opening up the retail sector for foreign players, speculation about an announcement being imminent has been sparked by Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs meeting

In Sam we trust

Events have moved swiftly in the BJP, and the architect of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement now leads the moderate group in the party, which has the support of the allies in the National Democratic

Moderate Mr Advani

The proverbial unpredictability of the weather no longer holds true when it comes to many global meteorological systems for which reliable forecast models are now in place. But it remains relevant for

Unpredictable forecasts

Last Friday, at a meeting with public sector bankers, Finance Minister P Chidambaram made it clear that the governments holding in the public sector banks cannot be diluted below 51 per cent. 


Free the banks

There is some irony in the fact that, just as Europe seems to be reaching a barrier to further integration, there have been reports about a major step in the economic integration between two South

Double-edged sword

The first shots have been fired with regard to a revision of government salaries. The demand has been raised for a new central Pay Commission, a committee under the chairmanship of the cabinet

Not the old way

Incisive columns and editorial comment by top opinion leaders

Page 307 - Editorial Comment