Naresh Kumar Vaid, Director , Vaids ICS

EVER since Vedanta was denied permission and Posco's withheld, it had become obvious that sooner or later Clarence will be given to Posco. This despite all factors--violation of Forest Rights Act, N. C. Saxena Committee report, resistance from the local tribals, connivance of Odisha government with Posco in fabricating facts etc rtc--going against. POSCO'S steel plant at Jagatsinghpur, a power plant and a captive port has been hailed as the biggest single investment by a foreign company and according to the government, denying permission to Posco would have sent a wrong signal to foreign investors interested in ventures in India. While Vedanta's was the project by an Indian-origin Mittal and could be treated shabbily, Posco's case was 'handle with care', more so because India has to look cosy to out eastern neighbour, South Korea in line with its 'look east policy'. UPA government has been advocating development but not at the cost of environment and for...

ACCORDING to latest data on national income, per capita income grew to Rs. 46,492 in 2009-10 from Rs. 40,605 the previous year, an increase of 14.5%. At 2004-05 prices it stood at Rs. 33,731 compared to Rs. 31,801 in the previous year, an increase of about 6% It is no cause to cheer as, adjusting for the double digit rate of inflation (the inflation for food items being still higher) the paying capacity of Indians has literally gone down. How? THE government released above data on Jan 31, 2011. The same day the statistics released by the consultancy firm McKinsey & Co show that the poor have become poorer while the rich became richer faster--the reason for increase in per capita income. McKinsey , in its 2007 report had predicted that the poorest families will decline in numbers from 101 million in 2005 to 92 million in 2010 (about 9%), but it has swollen to 110 million (up by about 11%) i.e. the company was wrong by 20% in its forecast. THE two observations above make clear t...

THE writing is on the wall. Tunisia has shown the way. Egypt is burning, so is Yemen. Others are in queue - South America, other countries of west Asia, eastern europe, countries of CIS, Pakistan and even China. Will India too respond? IT All started with the suicide by a cart puller. The common man in Tunisia, reeling under corruption and unemployment started burning. Internet fanned the news. Now cosmetic changes in the system by the rulers are not acceptable. It is not Muslim uprising. It is the uprising by common man, the aam aadmi. SITUATION in India is similar, worse in many ways. Even after 64 years of Independence we are fighting over the figures of poor in the country. A vast majority of educated youth is not job-worthy. The government made right to education a fundamental right because it can get away with statistics. IF right to health were made into fundamental right? That is not to be because that will expose hollowness of government's intentions. The poor in India c...