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Saturday, February 21, 2026
TopicWeekend Ruminations

Topic: Weekend Ruminations

India’s GDP data has several issues that need clarity, but overall the economy is a good news story

India's growing at more than twice the speed of global economy, and doing better than any other large economy, but longer-term problems with country's statistical system & data base remain.

Sunday is the unhappiest day of the week. But beating weekend anxiety has 3 simple steps

For many, by the time Sunday afternoon rolls around, a feeling of intense anxiety and dread sets in—often referred to as the 'Sunday scaries'.

India is running out of time to capitalise on its demographic dividend

Demographic dividend can be exploited only if people are actually working, and if they have proper education & skills. India has fallen short on both counts.

Buying complex weaponry is no easy business, but Rafale shows India’s process is broken

It takes 8-10 years for a selection process to be carried through while the defence services wait. Indeed, in the end, there may be no acquisition at all.

The hits and misses of Arun Jaitley’s Budgets

Govt finances and revenues will certainly show improvement, but school education has stagnated and India’s defences look increasingly vulnerable.

Why the lack of approval from Lutyens’ Delhi bothers Narendra Modi so much

Mr Modi's regret with Lutyens' Delhi is perhaps that the BJP is still cast as the subaltern in this enclave.

Modi, after all, had no solution to the poor and nasty lives of most Indians

Five years on, the reality hasn't changed for young Indians. Subsidies and hand-outs are all that they've got.

Modi ji, stop repeating Vajpayee’s mistake on the economy

The Vajpayee govt suppressed food prices and lost, while the first Manmohan Singh govt corrected that and was re-elected. It’s good politics and good economics.

On GDP, it’s time to construct an Indian version of the Li Keqiang index

The NITI Aayog has some explaining to do if the charge of official statistics having gone political is not to gain currency.

Urjit Patel is rigid & uncommunicative but India can’t afford his resignation

Past RBI governors too have been rigid, but willing to engage.

On Camera

Youth Congress, your foolish protest helped the Modi govt climb out of the AI summit hole

In tactical terms, the shirtless protest was worse than a self-goal. Suddenly, the fiascos of the AI Summit were forgotten, and the Youth Congress’s disruption became the issue.

In the West, there’s anxiety. In India, optimism—Rishi Sunak says India poised to be leader in AI

On Wednesday, the former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was speaking in New Delhi at a Carnegie & Observer Research Foundation event on AI.

MoD, IAF agree on some exemptions to HAL for Tejas Mk1A, but no compromise on ‘must-have’ capabilities

IAF is fine with accepting the aircraft with 'must-haves', even if some other steps remain pending, which may take at least another year, it is learnt.

No country is ever fully sovereign. Cold War era taught India its real meaning

India’s fraught neighbourhood places multiple constraints on its strategic choices. It leaves no time to take a deep breath, lean back and reset.