Informist, Thursday, Apr 22, 2021

By Siddharth Upasani

Minutes of the Apr 5-7 meeting of the Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee will be released later today. The committee's members will highlight the need for the government to take supply-side steps to maintain adequate flow of essential goods such that inflation pressures don't build up any further.

The members will also reiterate their calls for the lowering of taxes on fuel products.

It's pretty cute of the Monetary Policy Committee to think the government is going to heed its advice.

The government has failed to facilitate the supply of medical-grade oxygen to hospitals. With nearly a year of 'atmanirbharta' behind it, hospital beds for those gasping for breath are hard to find. The government, under the garb of cooperative federalism and increasing competition among states, has pit one state against another and created a battle for resources.

It has failed in dealing with the pandemic.

Narendra Modi became prime minister thanks to a combination of circumstances, good public relations, and the promise of good administration. This promise hit a low this week when he called on the youth of the country to form committees to police their homes and neighbourhoods. Who knew 'minimum government - maximum governance' meant children would have to monitor adults? Or people would have to beg for help on Twitter?

Even as the country's youth have been asked to become volunteers, the prime minister and home minister continued to hold rallies in West Bengal with little regard for social distancing. So, it was rather surprising to hear Modi request for 100% adherence to COVID-19 protocols on Tuesday in his national address.

Amid the rampant double standards and utter disregard for life, the economy trudges along. For the last seven years, Modi and his ministers have touted the Indian economy as a bright spot in a world. This holds true even now, only for a different reason: no other country is so brightly illuminated by the burning bodies of its dead.  End

Edited by Avishek Dutta

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