Blog

Medici, Modi And Moderation

Medici, Modi And Moderation

The Medici business family of Italy rose to prominence in the 14th and 15th century. They were well known for their banking prowess and are also credited for funding the renaissance in Italy through their patronage of art and philosophy. But the Medician patronage of the arts was not random. It was thoughtful and targeted. Medici wanted to use art to advance the society. Several philosop...

[Read more…]



Centre’s move to scrap MP airfare DA draws flak across party lines: Narendra Modi faces side-effects of political reform

Centre’s move to scrap MP airfare DA draws flak across party lines: Narendra Modi faces side-effects of political reform

Machiavelli said, “the ruler’s virtuous actions can also bring harm”. He cites the example of Pertinax, the Roman emperor who after taking over from his predecessor Commodus, mandated his soldiers to live an honest and Spartan life. These soldiers were accustomed to living licentiously under Commodus. They started hating Pertinax for withdrawing their privileges and he was overthrown and assassina...

[Read more…]

Karnataka fallout: BJP’s fierce pursuit of Congress-free India could hurt its chances in other polls, damage Narendra Modi’s image

Karnataka fallout: BJP’s fierce pursuit of Congress-free India could hurt its chances in other polls, damage Narendra Modi’s image

Why did Narendra Modi allegedly allow horse-trading overtures in Karnataka though he swears to uproot corruption from public life? Which is part of a bigger question: Why don’t political leaders keep their promises? This phenomenon is best enunciated by Machiavelli in his seminal work Discourses on Livy, where he compares how the dilettante politician recognises the impracticality of the pro...

[Read more…]

Five Wishes From The PM This Republic Day

Five Wishes From The PM This Republic Day

The last I wrote of my expectations from the PM was for his Independence Day speech. Some of the wishes I put forth must have been on his agenda as well, as I see some spur on these. Thought I must come up with the next set of asks from my PM on 69th Republic Day of India. So, for his consideration, here is my take on the top five areas he could focus on: 1. Avoid drastic interventions in Bu...

[Read more…]

Five Wishes From The PM This Republic Day

Five Wishes From The PM This Republic Day

The last I wrote of my expectations from the PM was for his Independence Day speech. Some of the wishes I put forth must have been on his agenda as well, as I see some spur on these. Thought I must come up with the next set of asks from my PM on 69th Republic Day of India. So, for his consideration, here is my take on the top five areas he could focus on: 1. Avoid drastic interventions in Bu...

[Read more…]

Modi: The Much-Needed Antibiotic – Some Side Effects too

Modi: The Much-Needed Antibiotic – Some Side Effects too

Any account of how the Modi government has fared on this front should begin with what the BJP promised in the 2014 election manifesto and whether and to what extent has it been able to keep these promises. Staying within the area of my expertise, I will restrict my argument to the medical technology and hospital sector and assess the government’s performance on some of the most important indices....

[Read more…]

Modi: The Much-Needed Antibiotic – Some Side Effects too

Modi: The Much-Needed Antibiotic – Some Side Effects too

Any account of how the Modi government has fared on this front should begin with what the BJP promised in the 2014 election manifesto and whether and to what extent has it been able to keep these promises. Staying within the area of my expertise, I will restrict my argument to the medical technology and hospital sector and assess the government’s performance on some of the most important indices....

[Read more…]