All stories by A K Bhattacharya
2024 Interim Budget: Mistakes Nirmalaji Can Avoid
Rediff.com11 Oct 2023Pre-Budget excercise next month should scrupulously avoid adventurism of all types and refrain from making excessively ambitious projections on revenue and expenditure numbers for 2023-24, suggests A K Bhattacharya.
What Cards Will BJP Play For Elections?
Rediff.com26 Jun 2023Elections may be a few months away, but the government may get into election mode much earlier than that, predicts A K Bhattacharya.
GST: Unsung Hero Of Tax Collections
Rediff.com14 Jun 2023Can this growth in GST collection be sustained in the coming years? asks A K Bhattacharya.
The Politics Of Freebies
Rediff.com22 May 2023Why did Karnataka's economic prosperity fail to influence the nature of electoral promises made by political parties in the run-up to the assembly elections? asks A K Bhattacharya.
How Parliament Can Function As It Must
Rediff.com25 Apr 2023The need for finding options for proper functioning of Parliament is of paramount importance as the frequency of the passage of Budgets and other economic Bills without discussion or debate has only increased in the last few years, notes A K Bhattacharya.
Ukraine War: How Modi Kept Economy Under Check
Rediff.com13 Mar 2023Whether this remains under control in the coming months will depend on the future intensity and spread of the Russia-Ukraine war, and the effectiveness of the Indian government's response, points out A K Bhattacharya.
Manmohan Singh, Chief Architect Of Modi's Schemes
Rediff.com3 Mar 2023Both prime ministers believed in crafting schemes to help the common man. Modi used quite effectively the instruments Dr Singh introduced. In assessing Modi's success with many schemes, Dr Singh's fundamental work should not be ignored, points out A K Bhattacharya.
The Worrying Decline Of PSU Capex
Rediff.com23 Feb 2023The government must expedite its plan for asset sale and privatisation, both of which hardly got any mention in the Budget speech, points out A K Bhattacharya.
3 Reasons Budget Stands Out!
Rediff.com2 Feb 2023The finance minister has stayed true to her commitment to fiscal consolidation, even though the pace of the decline in the deficit could have been faster, notes A K Bhattacharya.
Nirmalaji's New Headache: Food Scheme Extension
Rediff.com5 Jan 2023The free food scheme is driven by electoral considerations, but its long-term fiscal risks outweigh the short-term gains, cautions A K Bhattacharya.
Budget: What Will Nirmalaji Do About Income Tax?
Rediff.com15 Dec 2022Instead of conceding the demand for a cut in personal income-tax rates, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should phase out many exemptions in both personal and corporation taxes, suggests A K Bhattacharya.
Don't Make It A Pre-Election Budget, Nirmalaji
Rediff.com17 Nov 2022The need of the hour for the government would be to tighten its fiscal belt, recommends A K Bhattacharya.
Revealed: How PM Planned Demonetisation
Rediff.com8 Nov 2022November 8 marks 6 years after demonetisation. A K Bhattacharya reveals how the prime minister and the RBI worked together for months before Modi's 8 pm speech. A riveting excerpt from The Rise Of Goliath: Twelve Disruptions That Changed India.
How Long Will GST Growth Continue?
Rediff.com27 Oct 2022It is now becoming increasingly clear that rising imports have played a significant role in sustaining the buoyancy in revenues from GST, notes A K Bhattacharya.
Vishnu Purana Explains The Caste System
Rediff.com25 Oct 2022The Vishnu Purana, notes A K Bhatacharya, ends on a sombre note, but not without offering the hope that those who chant Vishnu's name can still reclaim dharma.
Modi Ignores Vajpayee's Mahaul Mantra
Rediff.com12 Sep 2022Never before has the need for creating an ambience for economic policy reforms been as critical as it is now, points out A K Bhattacharya.
Capex Has Taken New Turn Under Sitharaman
Rediff.com22 Jun 2022The dividends for the economy from such a rapid rise in capital expenditure would be huge, observes A K Bhattacharya.
Will Modi Revive Farm Laws?
Rediff.com6 Apr 2022But it would be unwise on the government's part not to heed the suggestions made by the experts group, set up by the Supreme Court, in particular the one on involving the states and giving them the flexibility in designing and implementing the farm laws, observes A K Bhattacharya.
3 Things To Note About The Budget
Rediff.com16 Feb 2022Budget for 2022-2023 has returned to its agenda for protectionism in the name of creating a self-reliant India, points out A K Bhattacharya.
GST Collections: No Cause For Elation
Rediff.com3 Feb 2022The broad trends of GST collections will make you wonder if indeed the biggest indirect tax reform in the country has led to a real improvement in revenues, notes A K Bhattacharya.