During Trump visit, Delhi must push for FDI, FII investments linked to technology transfer
Abusaleh Shariff | Executive Director US-India Policy Institute, Washington DC
The Indian Express
Shariff dwells on the poor trade links between the US and India. He points out various examples such as the fact that India-US bilateral trade stands at $85 billion, and says that there isn’t much to gain in trade at this point in time between the two countries and argues that it isn’t the trade deal which is the centrepiece of Trump’s visit, it is the “politics of defence purchases”.
Arun K. Singh | Former Indian ambassador to US, France and Israel
The Indian Express
Singh examines the history of India’s relationship with the US and states that the latter has always been “supportive of India” due to strategic interests. Singh argues that this has changed during Trump’s presidency and India has to “deal with a transactional administration”.
United States will remain India’s key partner across all domains in the future
Kanwal Sibal | Former foreign secretary
Mint
Sibal is hopeful that India-US relations will continue to grow in the near future due to the “China factor” and maritime security. However, he notes, “areas of divergence” on trade and the India-Russia relationship, will also continue
Guess who’ll be chauffeured by opponents to the White House
Sandipan Deb | Former editor of ‘Financial Express’, and founder-editor of ‘Open’ and ‘Swarajya’ magazines
Mint
In anticipation of US President Donald Trump’s visit to India, Deb examines his chances at being re-elected in November and criticises Democrats’ recent attempt to impeach him, indirectly “doing much of the campaign work for him”. Americans will likely opt for the “known devil” i.e. Trump, rather than a “radical” like Bernie Sanders, “who wants to nationalise major industries and give convicted terrorists the vote”, he writes.
Sukhadeo Thorat | Professor Emeritus, JNU
The Hindu
The Supreme Court ruled that quotas and reservations for promotions for government jobs are a fundamental right and such provisions cannot be made without data showing imbalance in representation. Thorat demonstrates the imbalance by examining data and argues “high castes have benefited at the cost of the former untouchables, there is a legal and moral justification that they compensate for the losses they have inflicted on the latter for centuries.”
Youth can be a clear advantage for India
Meenakshi Datta Ghosh | Principal author, National Population Policy, 200
The Hindu
Ghosh explains that India’s youth can be a “clear advantage” advantage for the country. She calls for more policies encouraging the youth such as deploying “new technology to accelerate the pace of building human capital” by encouraging “virtual classrooms and online courses” to prepare the workforce for “next-generation jobs.”
Tamal Bandyopadhyay | Senior adviser, Jana Small Finance Bank Ltd.
Business Standard
Bandyopadhyay addresses the “most talked about succession plan after Tata group chairman Ratan Tata stepped down” in 2012 — who will replace HDFC MD, Aditya Puri, whose tenure ends in October this year. He writes, the person will have to “fill the big shoes of Puri, arguably India’s best banker”, who has been in charge since the bank’s inception, and has a “personality cult” of sorts.
Happy birthday inflation targeting
Ajay Shah | Professor, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi
Business Standard
Shah traces the “story of inflation targeting in India” that began in November 2005, when it “jumped to 5.3 per cent”. The inflation crisis had also raised questions regarding the RBI, he writes. “The most that monetary policy can do is to create an atmosphere of stability and predictability,” he adds.
Sanjaya Baru | Distinguished Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies & Analysis, United Service Institution of India, New Delhi
The Economic Times
Gupta writes that India need not get “flustered with Trump’s trade tantrums” given that India-US trade ties are actually rooted in a “history of United States Trade Representative bullying on trade …[,] pocketing a concession and seeking another, of shifting focus and talking tough.” Instead, India should highlight how “Indian brain power” has helped fuel the US economy, he adds.
Today’s Editorials
Hindustan Times: The daily writes that the India-US relations have flourished even under the quirkiest of presidents which proves that US remains an indispensable partner in India’s foreign policy. Despite a brief shared history and no formal alliance, both countries have so much in common, HT states. Over various issues, India sees Trump in a positive light but the increased friction between India and the US on trade and technology issues does not have a clear solution and therefore, managing them is important.
The Times of India: TOI writes about the Nagaur Dalit violence and throws light on what continues to drive caste-based violence even today. It says that the scarcity of jobs and violence reinforces social evils such as the caste system. Inadequate policing resources and poor prosecution in cases also adds fuels to this. It concludes that economic growth is imperative for tackling social evils.