NB Blogs

Let us take a look back at the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, once again. Read from one side, one single party has as many seats as its main opposition put together, in its combined strength. The BJP did lose as many as 60 seats, reaching nowhere near the 400 paar, but yet it did hold on to enough to score a third consecutive majority (though not, on its own), forming a government beating incumbency, almost! A third term was almost incredible, in times like these when coalitions are becoming more common globally. Whether one wants to accept it or not, the BJP did more than well, for a third consecutive term. Only that it was claiming it will get more, the final numbers may look like a climb down. The PM was sworn in for a record third time. Read, from the other side, from the perspective of the opposition, every other party was a winner, too. The INDI Alliance was also beaming, just as much. Managing a breakthrough when all was being written off. There was more than hope; there was h

Another year, when ‘tourism’ is being short-changed; Budget 2024 must revisit the need to market inbound tourism, considering the growth of overall infrastructure, including the convention business. Our PM is the best ambassador for India’s ‘tourism’, he has mentioned tourism a few times more than all our past PMs ever did collectively. And yet, ‘tourism’ gets short shrift in the budget allocation for 2024/25 for promotion of Destination India. Yet again, repeatedly, year on year! As the budget gets discussed and before it is passed, here is hoping ‘tourism’ gets a second consideration from the Hon’ble FM, and gets its due, as a serious business activity for the Indian economy. Budget 2024 has been no exception. For tourism, that is. Per se, for this industry, no special announcement, except perhaps, if you do the reading right, a further downgrade in the scheme of things. In a budget of the size of a few lakh crores, the expense on publicity has been scaled down from 100 crores to 33

Can it get any bigger? Unlikely. The Ambani wedding was one that was never seen before, and unlikely to be seen again. All their three children are happily married; for the next wedding, we will have to wait for the next generation. Unlikely to happen in the life span of many of us. Unfortunately, or otherwise, weddings in India are an occasion to make a statement to your friends and family, business associates and even people at large. It is not for no reason we have that unique Indian phenomenon called ‘the Big Fat Indian Wedding’. The bigger you are, the fatter it becomes. And what you spend is seen as a revelation of your wealth and standing in society. A common sight at venues is the ultra hooh haah that goes with an average well-to-do businessman’s family wedding; a few crores here and there, is always a statement, like it or not. It is ultimately ‘yours’ to choose. How classic or how subtle you want to be, or how brazen and ‘right in your face’ extravagant celebrations, you want

This last month has witnessed new scandals. The likes of which occur, unfortunately, not rarely. Politicians involved in sleaze and scandals is not in itself news breaking. Neither is consumption of hooch. Howsoever sordid and unfortunate these are, nevertheless we need to recount them in passing, in some detail. To understand where they come from, in what spirit and with what intentions. The NEET-UG examinations exploded as a major scandal. Did one never suspect that papers get leaked? That there are cases of cheating rampant across colleges and universities, some were more notorious than others. But how organized these could be, how extensive an outreach these could have, assumed newer proportions. Imagine in a national level examination, conducted by the National Testing Agency, some 1500 plus candidates were given grace marks. These are on all India level, conducted in 13 languages; this year, over 24 lakh students took them. What was truly exceptional this year was that 67 studen

A new book and its launch: Ambasador Nalin Surie’s wife, Poonam has been for long an avid China watcher. She has travelled and mixed with the ‘people’ extensively. She has published her third book, China: Modernity and Tradition. On the occasion of the launch of her book, Ambassador Shyam Saran was joined by another diplomat, a former ambassador to China, Ashok Kantha, and foreign policy and global affairs strategic analyst, Dr. Raja Mohan. We bring you a brief on what was said. And, a glimpse from Poonam’s unfolding of what inspired her to write her book. The excerpts: Shyam Saran Many of us, in what may be called the China fraternity, our focus is so much on the foreign policy aspect or the security aspect of our relations with China and China’s place in the world that we perhaps miss out on something which is absolutely critical to understanding China, which is the overall historical context, the overall cultural context. Also, the main actors in the drama that is taking place in Ch

We have so much in common between us as South Asian neighbours. We must not let politics come in the way to building bridges between our people. Business wise, it is the lowest hanging fruit for all concerned, it is time to get started. So much is in the air on South Asia. Neighbours are precious family. We are talking about Bangladesh with their PM on a state visit; the South Asian heads of state attending the swearing-in ceremony of the current Lok Sabha; China in a recent book that has come out on understanding their people, the real people in China, a neighbour and friend of long standing. In our previous issue, we carried a story on how we need to shore up as good neighbours, among our South Asian fraternity. We ran a podcast and curated a discussion between professionals on the subject of bridging our nations together. All said and done, politics apart, there is no substitute to people to people connect. It is public opinion that will shape policies. It is public perception that

In a free wheeling conversation, we discuss with AKS Member, Hemant Bhasin, one of the few globally, among the Rotary fraternity, on why and how these clubs contribute to society. An interesting and informative read, that spells and shares the Rotary fundamentals. What inspired you to join Rotary? I joined Rotary about 12 years ago after hearing remarkable stories about the impactful work Rotary does globally and in India. I became a member of the Rotary Club of Delhi, South End, one of the most prestigious clubs in the NCR region, which is part of District 3011, comprising 137 clubs. Rotary’s commitment to various causes such as disease prevention and treatment, peacebuilding, environmental support, maternal and child health, water sanitation, and basic education and literacy truly inspired me to get involved and contribute to society. What has been your experience since joining Rotary? Did your involvement with the Arch Klumph Society (AKS) start your journey? My journey with Rotary