Best of BS Opinion: India's policy, politics, air pollution and more

As reported by Business Standard on Friday, according to the latest consumption expenditure survey of the National Statistical Office, weakening rural demand drove consumer spending down for the first time in over four decades in 2017-18. This again shows that problems in the Indian economy are much deeper than what the headline numbers are suggesting. Since the growth has slowed, it is likely that Indian consumers, especially in rural areas, may have had no choice but to cut consumption further. This should worry policymakers. Here’s a collection of Business Standard Opinion pieces for the day.

Where the BJP’s education programme is occupied with such projects as wiping out the hated Nehru from history books, AAP has focused on improving the education imparted in government schools. We should celebrate that difference, writes T N Ninan. Read here

If the BJP and the Left, on two extremes of the ideological spectrum didn’t hesitate to align against a common enemy, why can’t the Congress now? Congress made Indian politics unipolar then, the BJP does so now, so why not the same flexibility, writes Shekhar Gupta. Read on..

Our capacity to make visas difficult has meant we have handicapped our ability to capture more than 10 per cent of global GDP and 27 per cent of global services exports that come from travel and tourism, writes Rahul Jacob Click here to read

The Industrial Revolution, which began in Europe sometime in the late 1700s, is squarely blamed for the beginning of the deterioration of air quality throughout the globe. But the history of air pollution is even longer and darker, writes Kumar Abishek Click here to read

Quote of the day

 

“There is no possibility of mid-term polls. This government (in Maharashtra) will be formed and it will complete five years.”

 

--NCP chief Sharad Pawar