It seems that India’s economy grew in double digits twice during the UPA government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (10.23 per cent in 2007-08 and 10.78 per cent in 2010-11). This is according to the back series calculations by a committee appointed by the National Statistical Commission.
However, wait before you rush to open the champagne bottle and propose a toast for the erstwhile UPA government. The Central Statistical Office sought to moderate the excitement by cautioning that what came out in the public domain (committee findings) on Friday are only “indicative and experimental numbers”. The final figures based on sectoral data will be calculated in a month's time, according to CSO.
Now what if the final figures are even better than the latest calculations? One thing is for sure. The final outcome will clear the air on which of the two governments — UPA or NDA — delivered better growth outcomes for the economy.
Tale of two cities
A debate was sparked off when the Global Liveability Index, released by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) on August 14, ranked Greater Mumbai (117) below Delhi (112), which was the opposite of the the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ Ease of Living Index released on August 13, that had ranked them at 3 (Greater Mumbai) and 65 (Delhi) respectively.
The Ministry’s explanation was that the EIU’s liveability work pertained to the metropolitan areas so the report referred to New Delhi whereas its Ease of Living Index referred to a larger urban agglomeration under the NCT. Hence, the geographical areas and population covered for Delhi were different in both the indices and hence not comparable.
This should pacify the loyalists of the two cities!
#KeralaFloods
In a bid to encourage more donations for Kerala, which is witnessing the worst floods in a century, some social media users came up with unique ways. On Twitter, an author offered to write a limerick for anyone who donates ₹5,000 to the CM’s relief fund. While a comedian offered to organise a fund raiser, while another artist decide to make portraits for people who make donations to Kerala.
A valid question
Noted Chartered Accountant S Gurumurthy, recently appointed to the board of the Reserve Bank of India, was trolled on Twitter for his ‘anti-women’ comment on social media. Gurumurthy, associated with Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an affiliate of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, in the context of floods currently ravaging Kerala, wrote on Twitter: “Supreme court judges may like to see if there is any connection between the case and what is happening in Sabarimala. Even if there is one in a million chance of a link people would not like the case decided against Ayyappan.”
Many on Twitter, wanted to know if he had similar words of “wisdom” on other natural calamities in the past — the 2001 Gujarat earthquake or the 2013 Uttarakhand floods that razed Kedarnath temple to the ground.
“If indeed God must punish, shouldn’t he first be punishing crimes against girls at Balika grih in Bihar,” asked a popular anchor who appears on a prominent business television channel.
Invest in Health
A member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council is having a hard time convincing the politicians in the ruling party to invest more in healthcare. India spends close to one per cent of its GDP on health, and that needs to be hiked to over 2.5 per cent urgently.
Hired to advise on health but seeing very little moving on this front in terms of fiscal commitment from the powers that be, seems to have exasperated this member.
“All politicians have a Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) benefit. They go to the best hospitals and receive the best health care for themselves and their children. They are disconnected with the reality.
“It is very tough to convince them to escalate the budget for health. But we are on it. We are pushing and convincing them by presenting hard-hitting statistics, why it is important,” the member said. Our Delhi Bureau