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Varun Pandit
How do we make India’s poor richer? Before policymakers tackle India’s most important question, they need to answer two more basic questions: How many poor are there? And who are they? Identifying the poor is the first crucial step in designing India’s anti-poverty programs. Since Independence, India has used a…
Can Participatory Budgeting Work in India?
As four states go to the polls this year, millions of Indians will cast their votes and participate in the most fundamental aspect of democracy. But, for many of them, this will be their only taste of democracy this year. After votes are counted, the elected officials will be left…
Railway Budget 2016: Putting the Railway Back on Track
In February, the Ministry of Railways announced the Railway Budget 2016-17. This continued a 95-year-old tradition where, like an aperitif before the main course, the budget for the Indian Railways is always announced before the Union Budget. An entire day in Parliament dedicated to railway finance is no quirky British…