This refers to T N Ninan’s column “Unhappy pairings” (Weekend Ruminations, December 8). Economic theories suffer from two most common problems. One is an association between the two factors in the nature of cause and effect — without any solid basis for which is the cause and which is the effect. Hence, one cannot be sure if low per-capita income causes high corruption, or vice-versa. Two is a lack of knowledge of all possible factors that can impact a certain situation. So, to postulate a cause-and-effect relationship between per-capita income and corruption is too gross.
Kishor Kulkarni Mumbai
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