Supreme Court had blocked disinvestment of Bharat Petroleum in 2003, but Modi govt repealed the responsible laws in 2016, without much Parliamentary debate.
Vajpayee govt divested Hindustan Zinc in 2002, retaining a 30% stake. It has since become the world’s second-largest zinc-lead miner & top-10 silver producer.
What will worry the NDA govt amid a tight fiscal situation in an election year is that till December 2018, it accrued less than half its Rs 80,000-crore target.
The govt wants to sell a 76% per cent stake in AI that comes with a debt of Rs 33,392 crore; the remaining 24% is likely to be sold later, when share prices go up.
Disenfranchisement by institutional fiat is profoundly undemocratic. The effect of the ECI's new documentary process in Bihar will tilt the scales in favour of the BJP.
Mini deal will likely see no cut in 10% baseline tariff on Indian exports announced by Trump on 2 April, it is learnt, but additional 26% tariffs are set to be reduced.
India-Russia JV is also racing to deliver 7,000 more AK-203 assault rifles by 15 Aug. These are currently being made with 50% indigenisation and this will surge to 100% by 31 December.
Public, loud, upfront, filled with impropriety and high praise sometimes laced with insults. This is what we call Trumplomacy. But the larger objective is the same: American supremacy.
Heading is provocative. Mischievous.