Apex court ruling comes as a boost to mineral-rich states. The interpretation of the court in this verdict could also give states more power to raise their own taxes, which been diluted significantly in recent years.
Large Indian firms are yet to become global champions. India should focus on improving their competitiveness so that they can tap into large external markets far more than they have managed so far.
An analysis of over 8,000 enforcement orders passed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India over a span of ten years provides insight into the use of its powers by the institution, and its priorities.
Informal settlements, despite containing a majority of the people, are treated as aberrations. Forced to live outside legal sanction, the poor are condemned to a degraded quality of life.
Plenty of money has been spent widening roads. It is clear that doesn't work. Instead, designing our cities for walking and cycling is a much better option, and is also imperative to fight climate change.
Adequate attention has not been given to strengthening the government in performing key functions, directly or through public authorities. Reforms to address this are now needed.
Huge backlogs in the justice system have prompted judges to look for ways to speed things up. The Supreme Court has twice pointed fingers at long and repetitive oral arguments.
By listening to residents, and understanding the needs that have driven them to organic solutions, it is possible for Master Plans in cities to be a lot more attentive to the lived realities of people.
Urban finances do need to be strengthened, but expenditure alone is not enough to improve outcomes. A study of waste management in 27 cities shows the importance of other non-monetary influences.
States have followed varied paths to development, proclaiming models of their own. But these have been limited, and not presented a new imagination of governance itself.
Can people themselves decide how governments should respond to their needs? Janta ka Faisla asks us to consider how the practice of democracy would look if it began from the most vulnerable citizens.
In cities across Karnataka, civil society groups are pushing the government to set up ward committees and area sabhas through which they can direct the governance of their localities.
Can people themselves plan for their basic services? A new initiative in informal settlements which have been ignored by formal planners shows the potential of a different approach.
For long-term mitigation of disasters in urban areas, ward-level citizens' committees will need to carry out community-based bottom-up planning for sustainable and inclusive development.
Our federal nation will always have different models of growth that suit local aspirations. State governments can distinguish themselves by asking what this means for each one of them.
Planning for settlements in the country follows an outdated approach. Re-imagining urban India will have to start with an overhaul of the existing statutory frameworks.
Why are there so few women in electoral politics at the state and national level? The biggest reason is that in the absence of reservation, political parties deny tickets to women.
Data governance in India is evolving. Against that background, what are the potential benefits and risks of the proposal by the Election Commission to link voter IDs to Aadhaar numbers?
A new book by the World Bank urges all cities to implement explicit food policies to foster reliable, inclusive, competitive and healthy food systems aligned with their aspirations and challenges.
There is rising interest in public policy, but much of the focus so far has been on the 'policy' part. But it is even more important to understand the 'public' part of this phrase.
The energy-mobility landscape is transitioning to renewables and electric vehicles. But public finances are highly reliant on the fossil fuels economy. Excerpts from a discussion of the challenges this poses.
The new science and technology policy joins its predecessors in presenting a wish-list for the country, but equally it also mimics the old policies in failing to detail how these wishes will come true.
The large metropolitan areas of the country are continuing to grow. But why, and is this the same thing as sprawl? A recent position paper from the IDFC Institute delves into the data, and discusses the challenges thrown up by India's urban expansion.
India Together is published with support from Oorvani Foundation.
