Gloria Steinem: Writing the only thing
“Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.” — Gloria Steinem
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Truman Capote: Inner music of words
“To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it’s about, but the inner music that words make.” – Truman Capote
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Fifty Shades of Grey: Future is grey in India
In a country known for its much-celebrated sex manual Kama Sutra and more than one hundred colours of love, it’s hard to figure out bizarre reasoning behind the blanketing out …
Read MoreChina flags off new normal 7 per cent growth rate
China, the most powerful emerging economy known for its expectations of double-digit growth rates, has lowered its 2015 economic growth expectations to about 7%. Speaking at the opening of China’s …
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Defying ban by India, BBC airs Nirbhaya documentary
Defying the pressure from Indian government to censor the controversial documentary on the December 16 gang rape, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) aired ‘India’s Daughter’ on March 4 for a global audience, saying that the documentary had handled the issue “responsibly”. However, in a concession, the BBC said it would not telecast the documentary in India.
The documentary is based on the traumas of a young physiotherapist, Nirbhaya (a pseudonym given to the victim), who was savagely gang-raped, tortured and killed by six men on a moving bus in the capital Delhi on December 16, 2012. It has ignited a blazing controversy in India for its inclusion of the interview of Mukesh Singh, one of the rapists.
It’s a chilling interview to watch: there is not a trace of remorse as he speaks about teaching a lesson to girls who wear wrong clothes and go to discos. “A decent girl won’t roam around at nine o’clock at night. A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy,” he says. “Housework and housekeeping is for girls, not roaming in discos and bars at night doing wrong things, wearing wrong clothes. About 20% of girls are good.”
China’s defence budget set to rise by 10%
In a move that will be closely watched in the region, China has announced its intention to increase its annual defence spending by 10 per cent. National People’s Congress spokeswoman …
Read MoreRBI rate cut triggers cheer in India
In an unexpected move, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has lowered its key policy rate by 25 basis points to 7.5 percent on March 4. This move has come …
Read MoreAudrey Hepburn
Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’! -Audrey Hepburn
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Joan Didion – I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking
I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear. Why did the …
Read MoreBudget without many surprises
Clothes truly make a man. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s budget, presented to Parliament today, turned out to be constructed the manner in which he was dressed — a Modi jacket over a shirt, trousers and chappals (flip flops) for shoes. Nothing objectionable of course and yet unexceptional.
West Bengal and Bihar, the states which go to the polls soon, will receive special central assistance in addition to the increased allocation they have already got per the recommendations of the Finance Commission. This explains the renewed bonhomie between the BJP and Nitish Kumar and Didi (Mamta Banerjee) respectively, Chief Ministers of Bihar and West Bengal.
Fiscal devolution kick starts Cooperative Federalism
The biggest plus from the budget is implementation of the spirit of “cooperative federalism” by transferring 42% of Union tax proceeds to states from around 32% earlier, per the recommendations of the Finance Commission.
Transfer of an additional 20% as central grants will further boost total transfers to states to 62% of Union tax revenues. This “big bang reform” in fiscal devolution sets the stage for State governments to take direct responsibility of the functions allocated to them under the constitution. They can no longer plead a lack of resources.
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