As the two-month lockdown was eased, the Union government came out with an economic stimulus package of ₹20 lakh crore and initiated many reforms.
In an exclusive interview, Union Minister (of environment, forest and climate change; information and broadcasting; and heavy industries and public enterprises) Prakash Javadekar articulates the government’s position on the economic stimulus package, reforms, migration crisis, and governance. Edited excerpts:
Q/Many people say the stimulus package may not help revive demand.
A/There are two views—whether you need to address the supply side or the demand. It will create inflation if there is no proper supply. People were saying that we should give ₹7,500 to everyone. Eighty crore people were given 25kg of rice or wheat, 5kg of pulses; additionally, 10 crore people (migrants and people without ration cards) were given 10kg rice and 2kg of pulses free of cost. Twenty crore women got ₹1,500 each [₹30,000 crore total] in their Jan Dhan accounts. Eight crore families have got three gas cylinders each, free [of cost]. Three crore senior citizens got ₹1,000 each in their account. Eight crore farmers got ₹2,000 in their accounts. So, basically, the bottom 10 per cent have got more than ₹7,500.
Q/Will the prime minister’s mantra of self-reliance lead to protectionism? Make in India has had only limited success.
This story is from the June 07, 2020 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 07, 2020 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
AI & I
Through her book Code Dependent—shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction—Madhumita Murgia gives voice to the voiceless multitudes impacted by artificial intelligence
Hair force
Sheetal Mallar, in her photobook Braided, uses hair as a metaphor to tell a story that is personal yet universal
The art of political protest
The past doesn’t always remain in the past. Sometimes, it emerges in the present, reminding us about the universality and repetitiveness of the human experience. Berlin’s George Grosz Museum, a tiny gem, is a startling reminder that modern political and social ills are not modern. Grosz lived through World Wars I and II, shining a torch into the heart of darkness in high-ranking men and women—who were complicit in the collapse of the world as they knew it.
DIVERSITY IN UNITY
THE SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITY IN THE US HAS SEVERAL THINGS IN COMMON, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS, THERE ARE WIDELY DIFFERING OPINIONS AND FEELINGS
RED SHOOTS RISING
CPI(M) hopes its fiery young candidates will usher in a left renaissance in West Bengal
BATTLE OF THE BRAINS
Top poll strategists are engaged in a proxy war in Andhra Pradesh
Anupamaa's whisper to Rupali Ganguly
I have been a fan of the television drama series, Anupamaa, right from the very start. The number one Hindi TV serial in the country for almost four years now, it tells the story of simple Ahmedabad housewife, Anupamaa, who loved her husband, children, and in-laws, and found her happiness exclusively in theirs.
ROYAL CHALLENGE
Two descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji are in the fray
AJIT PAWAR'S NCP WILL BE WIPED OUT
INTERVIEW - PRITHVIRAJ CHAVAN, CONGRESS LEADER AND FORMER CHIEF MINISTER
HEIR-BORNE BATTLE
Modi’s acceptability remains high even where voters find the BJP’s quest for power at any cost offensive, but the Maha Vikas Aghadi clearly has its tail up. The mood and moves on the ground...
