A road map for a new-look Congress
Amarinder Singh | Chief minister, Punjab
Hindustan Times
In his piece, Singh charts out a roadmap for the Congress party to revive itself. While acknowledging that the contribution of the Gandhi family to Congress has been immense, he highlights the need for the party to carve out a “new-look” for itself. He says this should be seen as a “deep-rooted” change and not merely a cosmetic one. For this, the Congress party needs to find a young leader who can put it in sync with the aspirations of India’s largely young population. “Just like the nation, experience needs to give way to youth in the Congress too,” observes Singh.
He also asks of the Congress party to focus more on regional alliances, and to provide more autonomy to its own regional leaders. This, he believes, will lead to a revival in Congress’s electoral fortunes.
India’s Shifting Population Profile
Argentina Matavel Piccin | India country representative, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
The Times of India
In this piece, Piccin makes a case for designing policies to ensure dignity for the elderly. By 2061, India’s elderly population (60 and above) will increase to 425 million as per United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) projections. The ongoing transformations are making things difficult for the elderly. The young are leaving their homes to move to more “economically lucrative” states, she writes, while the elderly are getting left behind. The breakdown of large families into nuclear ones is also leaving the elderly alone.
In this context, Piccin recommends designing policies for the welfare of the elderly. States like Kerala are setting aside “10% of annual village funds to take care of the elderly”. India should devise a “minimum national package of services” for the elderly as many are not covered by retirement pensions, she writes.
A demographic window of opportunity: on population and policy
Sonalde Desai | Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland and professor and centre director, NCAER-National Data Innovation Centre
The Hindu
Desai writes that India will become the most populous country in the coming years, and any successful adjustment to this demographic reality will depend on three factors. First, in a democratic state like India, policies like China’s one-child decree cannot be implemented. Second, since punitive policies can’t be adopted, people should be encouraged to “have smaller families voluntarily”. She cites a research to argue that families frequently go for just one child to improve its educational prospects. So ensuring better educational and job prospects for even the poorer households will spur them to have fewer children, she observes.
Third, while acknowledging that the use of 2011 Census population estimate for fund allocation to states will be unfair to southern states, she argues for its usage since “laggards” like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will contribute to the future of everyone because of their demographic advantage. “[W]orkers of Bihar will be supporting the ageing population of Kerala in 20 years,” she remarks.
Road to $5 trillion
Gopal Krishna Agarwal | National spokesperson on economic affairs, BJP
The Indian Express
Agarwal talks about Modi government’s vision to make India a $5-trillion economy and discusses various measures that are likely to contribute to this. The government remains committed to its plans of infrastructure development with continued “focus on rural roads, waterways, and low cost housing”, he writes, hailing the government’s plans to open up the sovereign debt market allowing it access to “cheaper international credit”.
He also underlines the government’s focus on MSMEs, along with its plans of reducing “the corporate tax to 25 per cent for small enterprises with a turnover up to Rs 400 crore”.
“Economic growth is our target and the focus on empowerment of the weaker sections of the society through education, healthcare etc is the solution,” writes Agarwal.
This calibrated plan may work
Amarendu Nandy | Assistant professor, IIM Ranchi
The Economic Times
Nandy writes that the Modi government’s plan to raise about 10-15 per cent of borrowings from the overseas bond route carries only minimal downside risks, given India’s strong international reserve position and stable macroeconomic fundamentals. He points out that as long as global investors continue to find credibility in India’s growth story, there is headroom to augment such overseas borrowings.
Sovereign external borrowings can ease the upward pressure on domestic interest rates, free up loanable funds, crowd-in private investments and provide impetus to domestic production. However, revenue generation through this route will be only successful if the government takes steps to rein in fiscal profligacy, he adds.
We need not whine about India’s small defence budget
Harsh V Pant | Professor of International Relations, King’s College London
Mint
Pant writes that India’s defence policy faces numerous challenges but lack of resources is not on top of the list. He says the country needs defence reforms urgently, pointing out how Indian armed forces lack the killer punch given their lack of upgradation.
“India’s defence budget in recent years has been falling, but more significantly, an increasing component of the funds are being allocated towards salaries, pensions and other operating expenses,” writes Pant.
The author points out that the pension bill is becoming larger, even surpassing the salary bill, pushing for rationalising manpower. He concludes by pointing out that strategic planning is needed with a sense of urgency.
Eventually, India will be an ageing country
Neha Chauhan | Senior technical advisor, Advocacy & Accountability, International Planned Parenthood Federation (SARO)
The Financial Express
Chauhan writes that India’s demographic dividend that started in 2005-06 will last till 2055-56. The impact of the dividend will, however, depend on good health, quality education and skills, job opportunities and a lower proportion of young dependents. Feminisation of ageing is another trend with the ration of women increasing in the elderly population. Income insecurity adds to the vulnerability of older population, she notes.
Chauhan adds that ageing India may appear to be a “distant issue”, but its growth at a rapid pace and scale requires immediate remedy not just at the policy level, but also in health, education, employment and physical infrastructure systems.