7 lessons from the pandemic: We realised many things, from costs of overused state power to costs of poor quality local data

Covid-19 appears to be transitioning to an endemic. There is always the threat of a new variant but the hope is that this is the endgame. The government has withdrawn the Disaster Management Act, freeing the states to respond to the disease. A virus, ten-thousandth of a millimetre in diameter, has tested our character, our governance. What have we learned? How did we fare?

Union Budget: Investment over consumption in 2022

This Budget chooses job creation over freebies and this is a victory

By choosing investment over consumption, and job creation over freebies, this Budget has opted for the long-term dignity and prosperity of Indians. (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Union Budget: Investment over consumption in 2022

This Budget chooses job creation over freebies and this is a victory

By choosing investment over consumption, and job creation over freebies, this Budget has opted for the long-term dignity and prosperity of Indians. (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO)

AI: Branding & billion dollars

Tatas will have to infuse substantial equity and run two brands to optimise the Air India acquisition

No nation became prosperous without trust between government and business.

In the past few weeks, a series of disquieting events have raised the question of trust between government and business. It brought back unhappy memories of the License Raj. Some think that getting government and business to trust each other is hopeless, like getting a pig to sing. ‘It wastes your time and annoys the pig,’ said Mark Twain. Others are wary of crony capitalism, a too cosy relationship between the two. The prosperity of Germany, United States, and Japan has been attributed to high levels of trust between business and the state.

No nation became prosperous without trust between government and business.

In the past few weeks, a series of disquieting events have raised the question of trust between government and business. It brought back unhappy memories of the License Raj. Some think that getting government and business to trust each other is hopeless, like getting a pig to sing. ‘It wastes your time and annoys the pig,’ said Mark Twain. Others are wary of crony capitalism, a too cosy relationship between the two. The prosperity of Germany, United States, and Japan has been attributed to high levels of trust between business and the state.

Covid and the bureaucracy: India needs modern institutions that are autonomous, accountable and creditworthy

The events of the past month have been so tragic, so unspeakably ugly that the only rational response was to pretend it wasn’t happening. The raging second wave of the virus revealed not only the governmental ineptitude but also exposed India’s soft underbelly – our heavy bureaucratic system, which wasn’t nimble enough to cope with the crisis.