In Focus by The Hindu

GDP data for India in the Oct-Dec 2022 quarter has given out mixed signals. Of concern are a contraction in manufacturing despite a let up in input costs as well as the slowing growth in the high-contact services sectors. Still, the government seems confident of 7% growth in FY23 despite a revised growth rate data put out for FY22 at 9.1%. What does the near future hold for India?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The one-year anniversary of the ongoing war in Ukraine saw a number of related developments beyond the battle zone. First came the visit of President Joe Biden to Kyiv, where he reiterated the motto of ‘As long as it takes” for American support to the Ukrainian war effort, underlining that the US is in it for the long haul. Then President Vladimir Putin, in his state of the nation speech announced that Russia was “suspending” its participation in the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), the last of the major treaties in place to curb an unfettered nuclear arms race. Next China released what has been variously described as a “peace plan” and a “position paper” on bringing an end to the Russo-Ukraine war.So what are the implications of each of these developments? Will China’s peace plan be taken seriously by the West? Will Biden’s domestic opponents allow his administration to funnel endless billions into this war? Will Russia’s ‘suspension’ of its participation in New START destabilise a fragile strategic balance? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Tata Group-owned Air India has placed two big orders with Europe’s Airbus consortium and Boeing for 470 planes – the largest ever single order placed by an airline in aviation history. As per the list price, the value of the order is around $70 billion.This order is evidently part of a strategy to rapidly expand the fleet and increase market share. It does raise some questions though: Does India have the aviation infrastructure to support such a vast expansion? What are the challenges for Air India in terms of manpower, such as pilots and trainers, and training infrastructure? How will it handle the competition from other airlines? What are the implications in terms of passenger safety, given that some of the planes are of a type that Air India pilots have never flown before, and pilot shortage may be an issue for years to come? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Election Commission of India recently recognised the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde as the Shiv Sena and allotted the bow and arrow symbol to it. This order is now under challenge by the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Sena in the Supreme Court.Using the test of majority principle, and that a majority of party MLAs in Maharashtra had sided with Mr. Shinde, the Election Commission, in its wisdom, presented the Chief Minister with the Shiv Sena.What impact will this have on the politics of Maharashtra, a state which sends as many as 48 representatives to the Lok Sabha? Could Maharashtra play a key role in deciding the results of the 2024 general elections? Does the BJP still have use for Eknath Shinde after the goal of dethroning Uddhav Thackeray has been achieved?For the moment, all eyes are on what the Supreme Court will decide on the tussle between the Sena factions. Also, a key test for the BJP, Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray will be the upcoming elections to the Mumbai municipality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is all set to kick off from March 4. In an auction held earlier this year, five franchises – Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Giants, UP Warriorz, and Mumbai Indians -- were sold for a total sum of ₹4,699.99 crores. In the players’ auction that followed, India opener Smriti Mandhana went for the highest price, with the Adani-owned Gujarat Giants shelling out ₹3.40 crores for her. Viacom 18 purchased the media rights for the first years for a sum of ₹951 crores.So, is the WPL all set to change the face of Indian women’s cricket? Does India have the depth of talent to support the growth of such a league over the long term? How far does the WPL have to go before it can be compared with the world’s top T20 leagues such as the WBBL of Australia? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, Assam began a massive crackdown against child marriages in the State - so far, over 4,000 cases have been registered and over 3,000 people have been arrested. Protests have broken out in the State as young girls and children have been left with no wage earners in the family. Assam has high rates of child marriage -- while the all-India figure as per the latest National Family Health Survey was 23.3%, in Assam, the figure was 31.8 percent. The Assam Chief Minister in fact said the drive against child marriage was for public health as teenage pregnancy rates were high. Concerns around child marriage and the health of young girls are valid and should be dealt with, but does using the criminal justice system help? Why does India continue to have significant numbers of child marriages? How much is this to do with access to education? And what policies have worked in other States and other parts of the world to help bring child marriage rates down? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five states – Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh – have informed the Centre that they would be reverting to the Old Pension Scheme. Some analysts even believe that one of the reasons for the Congress victory in Himachal was its campaign promise to revert to the Old Pension Scheme. At the same time, the Centre has warned that this move spells fiscal irresponsibility. Some economists have said it could even lead to a scenario of possible defaults on pension payments. But government employees in different states have staged protests demanding the Old Pension Scheme.So what exactly is the difference between the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and the New Pension Scheme (NPS)? Why do employees want the OPS, while the Centre is pushing for NPS? Realistically speaking, is the OPS fiscally sustainable in the long run? Or will it bankrupt state governments?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year’s Union Budget announced a scheme for the protection of natural resources that are fast degrading in the country: our wetlands. Amrit Dharohar, the scheme announced by the Finance Minister in the Union Budget this year, aims to protect and work towards the optimal use of wetlands. A separate scheme to protect mangroves was also announced. To mark 75 years of Independence last year, India also added 11 sites to its existing Ramsar sites, making 75 in all. Ramsar sites are wetlands that are designated to be of international importance for biodiversity.By some estimates, India has lost nearly 30 per cent of its wetlands over the last three decades: unplanned construction and pollution being major factors in this. Their loss can have massive consequences for cities – flooding and loss of water security being some.What is the status of wetlands in India now? How well are current rules for protection being implemented? How much will the new schemes help? And how can local societies get involved in conservation? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It will soon be a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, or to use Moscow’s terminology, began a “special military operation” in Ukraine. A thick fog hangs over the progress of the war – information trickling in about the war continues to be unreliable.Some larger truths, however, are obvious. There are, so far, no victors in this war that has been joined in a proxy manner by NATO and the United States on behalf of Ukraine. Both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers continue to slug it out as hi-tech weapons play a role in the war.If the European goal behind oil sanctions and price controls was to grind the Russian economy to a halt, then that hasn’t happened. China and India continue to be major consumers of Russian energy as the world awaits a resolution of the war in Ukraine. One year on, what happens to Ukraine and Russia? Can peace breakout between the two countries? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week the Reserve Bank of India raised its key repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.50%. This is the sixth rate hike since last May, for a total hike of 250 basis points in less than a year. The latest hike, while not entirely unexpected in some quarters, came as a surprise to those who were hoping for a pause in the consecutive rate hikes, especially given that inflation pressures were seen to be moderating.But the rate hike has also sparked a debate about its effect on FD rates, home loan interest rates and EMIs, and in turn, the impact on demand in the real estate market. In this episode of InFocus, we try and decode the implications of the rate hike, especially from the consumer’s point of view.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices