February 10, 2020

India’s plan to develop smart cities in PPP mode needs more clarity

In the recent Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government is proposing to develop five new smart cities in collaboration with states in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. But, there is a question mark on the ‘public’ involvement […]
February 7, 2020

KMRL invites Kochiites to join #PublicTransportDay

Kerala is on the go-green bandwagon since the new year. In tune with the plastic ban for a better tomorrow, Kochi Metro Rail Limited has strengthened its #PublicTransportDay initiative. The green metro is now observing Fridays as the day for […]
February 7, 2020

District authorities bank on residents, eye better ranking

CPPR Chairman Dr D Dhanuraj comments in a article published in The Times of India on Citizen perception survey for the next edition of Ease of Living index which is underway in Kochi. He says that we should not take such surveys […]
February 4, 2020

Minimum 240-day foreign stay norm ruffles NRI businessmen’s nerves

Nissy Solomon, Senior Research Associate, CPPR-Centre for Comparative Studies, comments in a article published in The New Indian Express on the implications of the budget on NRI tax. She comments, the amendment aims at those who move to countries of […]
February 3, 2020

Repair at the cost of India’s fiscal health?

Budget 2020, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, attempted to set an optimistic tone for reversing the economic slowdown. It offered something for everyone. However, the Budget had misaligned economic priorities where supply-side was yet again given a push. The […]
February 3, 2020

Budget 2020 ticked infra boxes, but missed some too

Neethu Nair and Aiswarya Krishnan The Union finance minister in her Budget speech reiterated the government’s commitment to Rs 103 lakh-crore of investment for the infrastructure sector, as underlined in the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP). Earlier, the Economic Survey 2019-20 […]
January 31, 2020

Govt must not lower its guard on infrastructure

Infrastructure development has been a major focus of the incumbent government. This sentiment was reflected in the Budget speech by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in July 2019 when she announced investment worth Rs 100 lakh-crore for the sector for five […]
January 29, 2020

The bad economics and bad politics in restricting imported liquor

Famous American economist Milton Friedman once commented that one of the greatest mistakes is to judge policies and programmes by their intentions rather than their results. Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has come up with a proposal ahead of […]
January 24, 2020

We need a consumption wave. Budget 2020 must give it a try

As the Budget session approaches, it is expected that prompt measures will be taken to mitigate various challenges faced by the economy that have strangulated its growth in recent times. However, laying out a clear and singular path to recovery […]
January 20, 2020

Inside India’s first corporate panchayat

CPPR Chairman Dr D Dhanuraj comments in a article published in the Live Mint on Inside India’s first corporate panchayat. He comments “You cannot replace democracy as a principle with anything else. Even the pretence of democracy will not be […]
January 8, 2020

Kochi Metro to observe Public Transport day on every Friday

With the aims to promote uses of public transport and curb vehicular pollution in the city, the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has planned to observe Public Transport Day on every Friday of the week starting from January 3, 2020. […]
January 6, 2020

Where to park? Ask Kochiites

CPPR Chairman Dr D Dhanuraj comment in a article published in The New Indian Express on the parking woes in the city. He comments ” The ideal solution would be to deploy hop-on and hop-off services like autorickshaws and mini-vans […]
January 2, 2020

Child safety in schools: Whose responsibility is it?

Education is one of the most important building blocks of one’s life. A child spends nearly 13-15 years of his/her life in school. Along with providing quality education, ensuring a safe environment should be one of the top priorities for […]
January 2, 2020

RERA and IBC: The real solutions for real estate

Recent announcements by the FM involving financial stimulus for the revival of the real estate sector are nothing but a reaffirmation of the importance of the sector. Estimates by the NITI Aayog show that the sector has a size of […]
December 31, 2019

The need for Chief of Defence Staff and unified command

Outgoing Army chief General Bipin Rawat was appointed as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).He will head India’s first unified command. CPPR Senior Fellow @KV Thomas was part of the panel on Right Side Programme in News 18 today […]