Cash is colorless.

"The US banknote, the most ubiquitous currency in the world used in everything from drug deals to legally accepted tender in multiple countries, falls short of the rupee when it comes to circulation numbers." There are 176 billion banknotes in India compared to 56 billion US dollar bills and 30 billion euro banknotes. "Cash has continued to grow despite the expansion of digital payments." TOI. "India's currency in circulation (CiC) climbed to record-high levels in late 2025 and early 2026. So far in 2025-26, CiC has increased by Rs 2.76 trillion, 3.1 times the rise seen in the same period last year. " At the same time the value of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions increased to a record Rs 28 trillion, wrote Soumya Kanti Ghosh & and Tapas Parida. The reasons could be because the tax department tracked UPI transactions and sent GST notices to street-side vendors and small stores, low interest rates on bank deposits and households recycling precious metals because of the high prices. "The apparent paradox of of the usage of of both rising is a warning that we are settling into a hybrid equilibrium: digital for convenience, cash for avoidance and for those excluded from UPI." One reason for the rise in cash is "the fear of UPI as a trap for small traders." Then, there has been an "explosive growth of unconditional cash transfers , estimated at 2% of GDP across 15 states." That increased cash use in rural and informal India. Thirdly, there is "the rising use of money power in elections," wrote Ajit Ranade. And, since politicians need cash to win, the use of cash will continue to balloon. India has introduced strict rules to restrict cash
transactions. This is expected to curb black money, which is income hidden from authorities to avoid tax, improve tax compliance, reduce counterfeit currency and improve financial inclusion. Bajaj Finserve. On 8 November 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the withdrawal of all Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes from circulation with four hours notice. Known as demonetisation. He said it would "curtail the shadow economy, increase cashless transactions and reduce the use of illicit and counterfeit cash." A total of Rs 15.44 trillion became worthless. The hope was that black money would be destroyed. In reality, Rs 15.28 trillion, or 99% of the banned notes were deposited in banks. A total of only 573,891 counterfeit notes were detected out of 24.02 billion notes withdrawn, which was close to 0%. BBC. However , it caused enormous hardship as people had to queue up for hours to exchange old notes for new, and daily wage laborers, who earn in cash, became unemployed. In the US in 2024, "approximately 20 million households rely on cash as their primary payment method, particularly among those who are unbanked or underbanked and individuals earning under $25,000 annually." "Pro-cash legislation has been gaining momentum across the US, with several states and cities implementing or considering laws to protect the use of cash as a form of payment." cusomag.com. But black money is not all black. "Back in the last years of the noughties India's economy was looking just as frothy as the rest of the world.. It had been growing at an astounding 9% a year for three years to 2008.." "The difference in India is that all this 'irrational exuberance' did not end in disaster." Prof Kaushik Basu says that "pervasive use of 'black money' - illegal cash hidden from tax authorities - created a bulwark against a crisis in the banking sector." BBC. Finally, one can lose only that much cash as they are carrying, but with rising rates of cyber crime and increasing sophistication of cyber criminals (pib.gov.in) one can lose all the money in one's account. Governments earn from seigniorage, which is the face value of currency notes compared to the cost of producing it. Investopedia. This year the RBI transferred Rs 2.87 trillion as dividend to the government. Reuters. Do they want to cut that down? Black or white, cash helps the economy. It has no color.  

Free coaching to climb to top 1%.

"Multiple BJP leaders said the party's internal surveys and feedback from the cadre underlined that the recent bypoll upsets and the growing criticism of the government on social media platforms are an immediate fallout of the 37-day student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party." "To ensure the government is not blindsided,...particularly as preparations for polls in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa have begun, the party has begun an aggressive outreach targeting young adults." HT. The BJP seems to think that the students were misled and persuasion and brainwashing will set them right. Students were angry because, "The NEET-UG 2026 exam was cancelled on May 3 after the paper leak came to light." ET. "The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test  (Undergraduate) or NEET (UG)...is an Indian nationwide entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission in undergraduate medical programs." wikipedia. Students appearing for this exam are some of the best in their schools and have been preparing for years. Unlike semi-literate 'Bhakts' (devotees) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who believe anything they are told on social media, created by the BJP's IT cell, led by Amit Malviya and a team of 150 well-paid employees. They believe that the 'Golden Age' of India was in some mythical past and the Nehru family is responsible for all ills. DH. Government school student Yashvardhan Kumar Mishra appeared for the Repeat NEET (UG) exam in June 2026 where he scored 92 percentile and failed to secure a seat in a government college. Only the top 1%-1.5%, who scored 99 percentile, succeeded. Mishra's family cannot afford a private medical college, wrote Sayantan Bera. "For decades there seemed to be a correlation between higher education and lucrative jobs. But in reality it was inequality that helped people secure such jobs." Employers cannot absorb the number of people who can afford to qualify. Indian parents "can bring up their children in filthy air, let them dangle from unsafe trains and travel on dangerous roads, but they will not tolerate that terrifying thing called an uncertain future. Of such a future, the BJP may now be a mascot," wrote Manu Joseph. And so, Mr Modi "has announced free online coaching for students belonging to poor and middle class families." And 10 million youth "will be given AI skilling in the next one year." newsonair.gov.in. How will they stop  students of rich parents from accessing the site? Another irritation for the BJP is the victory of Prashant Kishor of the Jan Suraj Party in a by-election in Bankipur, Bihar which the BJP has held since 1995. "Its former legislator, Nitin Nabin, inherited the constituency from his father and won it five times before resigning earlier this year" BBC. Mr Nabin is now BJP National President and a member of the Rajya Sabha. wikipedia. HIs seat must have been considered a fortress. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP deliberately lost recent by-elections. "The BJP has lost these by-elections to deceive the people." "Now they will say that opposition parties will no longer raise questions about EVMs." TOI.  An EVM is an Electronic Voting Machine produced by Bharat Electronics Ltd, a public sector company. Many believe the EVMs have been hacked and reprogrammed to transfer votes to the BJP. Since they do not have one-time programmable chips (OTP) they can be erased and reprogrammed. The India Forum. Towards the end of June, "Around 3,000 EVMs were destroyed in the Alipore Administrative Building fire, a senior EV official said." TOI. This was about one month before the by-elections on 30 July (newsonair.gove.in). Not enough time to manufacture and hack into so many machines? Although there is plenty of time till February 2027 when assembly elections to Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are to be held (wikipedia) the BJP does not want to leave anything to chance. Hence, free coaching and brainwashing. Will wholesale coaching get anyone into the top 1%?      Will it create jobs? The minister was not pleased with creating delivery boys and girls. DH. What about coached and AI skilled delivery boys and girls? Make parents proud.   

They have nothing to lose.

 "Iran has decided to shift its policy from defensive to 'fully offensive' due to the deadlock in efforts to agree a permanent end to its war with the United States, a senior Iranian official told Reuters." US President Donald Trump warned Americans "to prepare for continued high fuel prices as the result of the war, while also saying that 'after we finish defeating Iran pretty soon...I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States." NDTV. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Political Deputy Brigadier General Yadollah Javani "told Iranian state media that Iran's actions so far had been defensive but could assume an offensive character in the future." "He added that the armed forces would adopt transformative approaches." ET. Iran has carried out extensive attacks with missiles, drones and fighter jets on Gulf Arab states. wikipedia. "Saudi Arabia launched numerous, unpublicized strikes on Iran in retaliation for attacks carried out in the Kingdom during the Middle East war, two Western officials briefed on the matter and two Iranian officials said." "The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also carried out military strikes on Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported." Reuters. "Iran has accused Qatar of holding three Iranian military pilots who went missing in March after their aircraft were shot down, a claim strongly rejected by Doha." "Iranian state media also reported that a fourth pilot was killed during the same mission targeting a military base in Qatar." NDTV. "Iran yesterday said it has reached an agreement with Oman on a plan to manage the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz and the two sides are now working to finalize details for a joint statement," Iranian Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said." newsonair.gov.in. Is Iran offering Oman a share in its efforts to extort a tariff from every tanker that passes through the Strait, thereby dividing the Gulf Arabs and undermining a US deal with Tehran? Trump "has threatened to bomb Oman - a US ally - if it 'gets in the way' of his administration's own talks with Iran." "An IRGC spokesman denied Trump's claim." BBC. "The number one goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a nuclear weapon," said Trump. "Two drones targeted the office of the Kurdistan Regional Government's prime minister and the home of the region's intelligence chief in northern Iraq...but there were no reports of any casualties, the KRG security agency said. The attack was launched from Iranian territory, it said." Reuters. Meanwhile, "Yemen's Mocha port has suspended commercial and maritime operations after being hit by more than 25 missiles in Houthi attacks over recent days, the port's director has said." "Mocha is a Red Sea port near the Bab el-Mandab strait, a strategic chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and a key route for international shipping." Reuters. Iran's economy is near collapse, with scarcity of food and runaway inflation as the US has blockaded Iranian ports, stopping its oil exports. People are barely able to afford food. referl.org. Iran has gone into survival mode with, "Tehran rationing scarce goods, limiting access to foreign currency, slashing investment and shifting more of the burden onto households while preserving strategic imports and the essential machinery of the state, analysts said." WSJ. After an estimated 36,500 unarmed protesters were murdered by the regime in January (Iran International) it is obvious the regime will sacrifice any number of citizens to ensure its survival. The regime may be trying to set the whole Middle East on fire as a kind of scorched earth policy (Britannica). This is an ideal time to supply handguns and ammunition to protesters. People are most dangerous when they know they are going to die of hunger anyway. Win the war. Minimize suffering. Of Iranians.

Why are they special?

One week ago, "Students at the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law, Hyderabad, have opposed having Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as the university's convocation Chief guest." Although the date of convocation or the chief guest have not been confirmed "it has been a tradition for the university to have the CJI deliver the convocation address." This is because the CJI compared "unemployed youth and individuals without professional standing to 'cockroaches' and 'parasites'." DH. Taking exception to that, the Bar Council of India (BCI) issued a notice saying "those who organised opposition to the invitation to CJI Surya Kant for the institute's convocation would not be enrolled as advocates."TOI. Within hours the BCI was forced to withdraw its own order against Nalsar students saying that it has been reported that "a handful of teachers and outsiders were instrumental in instigating students," and that "no student shall be made to suffer without any fault on his part." Law Street. "The Supreme Court said students had a right to protest peacefully and stayed any coercive action against NALSAR students or faculty." "If the students are protesting peacefully who is BCI to take action? ...It is a dialogue between students and me. No one has the right to step in," the CJI said. TOI. So magnanimous. Expressing solidarity, "Students and alumni of the National Law School of India University (NLSUI) have expressed strong disapproval of BCI chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra," and "warned that such actions could have chilling effect on free speech across universities by 'sending them a clear signal that any act of dissent will be met with severe personal and professional consequences'." TOI. While being so courteous and tolerant of free speech for law students, the same Supreme Court "said police forces can be permitted to use pellet guns in exceptional circumstances," during the "Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest at Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET paper leak, during which several demonstrators sustained pellet injuries." ET. Pellets are designed to spread out indiscriminately and blind and maim permanently. Pellet guns were used extensively in Kashmir in 2016 and have left victims permanently incapacitated. "My bullet injury healed over time. But pellet injuries never heal. Permanently lodged in my body, they have left me unfit for work, unable to be in the sunlight for long or play any sports, walk or even rest," said Ashraf who had been shot with a bullet as well as pellets in Kashmir. The Wire. And the Supreme Court is happy for students protesting against leak of NEET (UG) questions to be maimed for life. "The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) of NEET (UG)...is an Indian nationwide entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission in undergraduate medical programs." wikipedia. So, law students have the right to free speech in rejecting the CJI, but students aspiring to be doctors, protesting against their careers being destroyed by cheats, are to be maimed for life by pellet guns. Even as, "More than 10,000 cases are pending in the Supreme Court for over 10 years. In the 25 high courts across the country, over 80,000 cases are pending for over three decades." TOI. Since lawyers charge fees per appearance in court (Karl Rock), they prolong cases indefinitely, assisted by tolerant judges. And yet, the Supreme Court has ruled that lawyers cannot be held liable for poor service under the Consumer Protection Act, despite charging scandalous fees, while doctors are liable. DH. Equality before the law? (Indian Kanoon). Right to protest? Only for lawyers.       

 

Free is expensive.

"India's central bank will close a discounted forex swap facility for banks to hedge overseas deposits raised from non-resident Indians (NRI) a month earlier than planned," as "The RBI said it received $52.3 billion via FCNR deposits raised by banks." The scheme will now close on 31 August instead of on 30 September. Reuters. Higher foreign exchange reserves are necessary as, "India's goods exports in July, driven by higher electronics exports and engineering items, jumped nearly 20% to $44.24 billion but higher input costs due to West Asia crisis also drove imports 17.51% higher to $76.22 billion, pushing the goods trade deficit to a six-month high of $32 billion, data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry showed." TIE. From April to July, FY 2026-27, total Merchandise exports were $173.78 billion and imports were $292.38 billion, while Services exports were $142.64 billion and imports were $73.47 billion, resulting in a total trade deficit of $49.43 billion. pib.gov.in. India's electronics export is booming. "In July, India exported $5.92 billion of electronics goods, up 57.4% from a year earlier, while imports surged 46.03% to $14.37 billion. For every $100 of electronics exported, it imported about $243." "China remained India's largest import source, with imports rising 34.4% in July to $14.67 billion." Exports to China were a tiny $2.20 billion. MC. India's "farmers use more urea - a nitrogen-heavy crop nutrient - than the US and Brazil combined, buoyed by government support which keeps prices well below market rates." As supplies through the Strait of Hormuz have stopped, India "has faced lofty costs for the natural gas imports...that serve as a crucial feedstock for domestic fertilizer production. The country's fertilizer subsidy bill is likely to exceed Rs 3 trillion ($31 billion) in the current fiscal year, well above the budgeted Rs 1.71 trillion." "Farmers still pay Rs 266.5 (2.80) for a 45-kilogram bag of urea, less than a tenth of the price paid in an April tender to procure it." ET. "Studies show that plants absorb only 30-40% of applied fertilizers such as urea and DAP (Diammonium Phosphate), leaving 60-65% of nutrients unused." "This is leading to groundwater contamination, air pollution and inefficient use of subsidized farm inputs, according to manufacturers and experts." Mint. "The total outstanding agricultural loans of banks neared Rs 31.35 trillion as on 31 December 2025." "Over the past decade, it reached nearly Rs 28.67 trillion in 2024-25 from Rs 8.45 trillion in 2014-15." Public sector banks (PSBs) account for over 70% of these loans. The Kisan (farmer) Credit Card Scheme (KCC) had 77.2 million operational accounts with loans outstanding of Rs 10.20 trillion, as on 31 March 2025. HT. It is unlikely that farmers, already poor, will be able to repay any of these loans and so the whole amount becomes a subsidy. Meanwhile, "The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has flagged poor demand, high production costs and recurring quality issues at the country's small-arms factories." High overheads "resulted in cumulative losses of Rs 3.66 billion across three factories on 12 selected small arms between 2015-16 and 2019-20." "Even after corporatisation," Advance Weapons and Equipment India Ltd (AWEIL) "recorded losses of Rs 2.34 billion between FY 2023-24 and FY 2025-26." India Today. Why not shut them down? Probably because a large number of highly-paid poor-quality workers will lose their jobs and that might cost votes. Speaking on infrastructure, Chief Economic Advisor, V Anantha Nageswaran said, "Free is the most expensive word in public policy." Waste of trillions of rupees is being used as subsidy. Then borrowing to fill up the hole. This is not voodoo economics. It's worse.     

Vande Mataram: the song of Independence.

On Our 80th Independence Day today (HT), "A Pew Research Center Survey conducted across 36 countries between February and May 2026 reveals an international community divided down the middle: a global median of 45% of respondents hold a favorable view of India, while 41% express an unfavorable opinion." Sri Lanka has the most favorable view of India with 79%, followed in second place by the UK and Kenya with 71%. Pakistan has the largest unfavorable view with 91%, followed by Turkey, another Islamist dictatorship, with 72% negative. Surprisingly, Brazil and South Africa, both BRICS nations, are negative.  TOI. Alarmingly, "Attacks on Indians living abroad have witnessed a nearly sevenfold increase in the past five years," according to the Ministry of External Affairs. There were 15 attacks in 2021, which jumped to 104 in 2025. The US reported the highest number of violence against Indians with 33, "followed by 32 in the UAE, 31 in the UK, 30 in Canada, 24 in Ireland, 23 in Russia and 19 in Germany." NDTV. "In an unprecedented acceleration of immigration enforcement, Canada has deported 3,323 Indian nationals during the first six months of 2026." "Families who invested substantial resources - often liquidating ancestral land or securing high-interest loans - to send students to Canadian colleges now face sudden deportations and severe financial distress." News18. "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a three-day visit to Australia from 8-10 July," during which, "The finalisation of export arrangements to supply Australian uranium for India's nuclear power plants signifies that the relationship has reached new depths." East Asia Forum. On 8 July 2026, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese "can and should take a different approach when Modi returns to Australia this week," as "in the three years since his last visit, the Modi government has weakened India's democratic institutions and intimidated and harassed critics...Violence against religious minorities has increased and BJP leaders routinely use hate speech to target Muslims and Christians, while government curbs criticism online." ABC. "An influential students' organisation in Nagaland has asked educational institutions not to send students to participate in Independence Day celebrations this weekend, during which the complete version of the national song Vande Mataram will be sung. HT. Vande (praise, celebrate, venerate) Mataram (mother) was a published in 1882 as a poem in Sanskrit, written in the Bengali script, by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in his novel Anandamath (The Abbey of Bliss) and became the rallying cry in the Indian Independence Movement. "Indeed, the song and the raising of 'Vande Mataram' as a slogan was outlawed by British authorities." Britannica. A row erupted when Vande Mataram was played before the Tamil anthem and the national anthem "as per directions from the Governor's office" during the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay. India Today. Following that, "A resolution has been unanimously passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly, mandating that the state song 'Tamil Thai Vazthu' be sung first at the beginning of government events." "Both DMK and AIADMK supported the resolution." NDTV. A song which united and electrified the nation before Independence is now dividing it. "A US lawmaker has raised concern over New Delhi's proposed amendments to Indian laws governing foreign donations received by NGOs, trusts, educational institutions and religious organizations, threatening that the changes could affect bilateral relations." NDTV. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment (FCRA) Bill 2026 says that a Designated Authority will take over assets and foreign contribution of an organization that ceases to have an FCRA certificate. PRSIndia. And "the Catholic Church and Christian NGOs and activists have expressed serious concern over the Bill." TOI. Attacked outside, divided inside. Independent yes, but how secure is Mother India? Vande Mataram.

Staying the same.

"India's retail inflation accelerated in July, led by higher food prices," as, "The consumer price index (CPI) rose 4.45% from a year earlier." "The central bank left its benchmark policy rate unchanged last week, awaiting clearer evidence on whether inflationary pressures had become broad-based in Asia's third-largest economy, making India an outlier among regional peers." Reuters. "Five months after the Iran war raised fears of an inflation spike and an economic downturn, Indian officials are sounding more confident," as CPI inflation has stayed within RBI's tolerance band of 2%-6%, "Consumer demand has also held up, with vehicle sales at record level, credit growth climbing to a two-year high and GST receipts rising at at a double-digit pace." As the festival season approaches, "businesses are building inventories, ramping up production and adding temporary workers in anticipation of a pickup in demand." ET. However, "Disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz are rapidly turning a shipping problem into a wider cost challenge," as "the increase in landed costs, which include item price, shipping fees, customs, taxes and charges for insurance and risk, can vary from 35 to 50% on some trade lanes." "Jitendra Srivastava, CEO of Triton Logistics & Maritime, says freight rates to the Gulf on some routes have climbed to $3,400-$4,000 from $300-$400 before the latest disruption." ET. "On July 29, US Fed left interest rates unchanged at 3.50% -3.75%." Under new Fed chair Kevin Warsh, "Policy statements have shrunk from 341 words to 130. Forward guidance is gone." So the markets "fall back on behavior, and a debutant chair has none. So, they forecast the man." With the RBI, "What investors have absorbed is not a condition but a blunter summary: this lot don't raise rates.And the more firmly markets assume no rise is coming, the more damage an eventual rise does. Itself a reason to postpone again," wrote Krishnan Ranganathan. Meanwhile, "Credit rating agency Fitch...affirmed India's sovereign rating at 'BBB-', citing robust growth balanced against still-weak fiscal metrics that it reckons could face pressure from rising concerns over youth unemployment." "Fitch has rated India at 'BBB-' since 2006, while Moody's has retained its 'Baa3' since 2020. S&P Global Ratings, meanwhile, upgraded India by a notch to 'BBB' last year." Reuters. Such low ratings are considered unfair and cause considerable resentment in India. "Credit rating agencies need to reform their sovereign process to correctly reflect the default risk of developing economies, saving billions in funding costs, the government's chief economic advisor, V Anantha Nageswaran said." "His comments coincide with India seeking an upgrade to its sovereign credit rating, currently at the lowest investment grade." Mint. Rating agencies "care far more about how much a government owes than what it plans to do," wrote Prof Prachi Mishra. "It's not just about running a primary surplus (revenues minus non-interest spending). Since India's growth outpaces its borrowing costs, a primary surplus would bring the debt ratio down automatically." "Country effects matter more. They likely reflect the strength of institutions and transparency, not the numbers themselves." All our institutions have been corrupted. "India's main financial crime fighting agency has investigated well over a hundred opposition politicians in the past decade," (Reuters) while the BJP has been labeled the "washing machine" party for removing allegations of crime from anyone who joins it (The Print). "India's Election Commission (ECI), one of the most trusted public institutions in the world's largest democracy," "has fielded a string of allegations from the opposition, ranging from voter fraud and manipulation to inconsistencies in electoral rolls. It has denied all of these." BBC. The markets know the RBI will not raise rates to help the government borrow at lower rates. If Indians don't trust our institutions, why would the agencies? We are not in charge of the fruits of our action and must not be attached to inaction, said Lord Krishna in the Bhagawad Gita. The greed for power and plunder. Insatiable.  

Eight gold out of 13.

Flanked by five female athletes, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with India's Commonwealth Games 2026 medal winners at his residence and praised the athletes for their dedication, hard work and contribution towards bringing glory to the nation." ANI. Can't miss a free photo op. "Of India's 13 gold medals, eight have been won by women - remarkable testament to the strength, resilience and growing depth of women's sport in the country." "Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently encouraged women athletes, celebrating their achievements and urging young girls to pursue excellence in sport." olympic.india.in. In the midst of all this nauseating attempts at cheap publicity, "A Delhi court, acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar after finding material contradictions in the prosecution's case (of sexual assault against female wrestlers) and holding that the charges were not proved beyond reasonable doubt." "The court went on to observe that the allegations appeared to be 'false and fabricated' and formed part of a 'deep conspiracy which seems to be politically motivated'." The charges were brought by six female wrestlers. Athletes? Mr Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been a six-times Member of Parliament for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is known as a bahubali (strong-armed) in his region in Uttar Pradesh (UP). wikipedia. The BJP won an overwhelming majority with 255 seats out of a total of 403 seats in the assembly elections in UP in 2022. wikipedia. Two of the complainants turned hostile. "Nowadays, the main cause for the high acquittal rate in our criminal justice system is due to the witness turning hostile." "The main reasons behind this are the money and muscle power, intimidation and monetary inducement." iils.india.com. One hostile witness "had explicitly stated that 'no untoward incident had taken place' and that she had signed the original complaint 'under the pressure and on behest of two other complainants'." The Print. Oh dear! This woman had been arm-twisted against poor Mr Bahubali. The conspiracy was very deep indeed. In December 2025, "The Supreme Court has put on hold a controversial order that had suspended the life sentence of a former lawmaker convicted of raping a teenager. Kuldeep Singh Sengar, formerly of the BJP, was found guilty in 2019 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act." BBC. "On 5 April 2018, the woman's father was arrested and placed in judicial custody, allegedly after he was assaulted by supporters of Sengar. A medical examination found injuries consistent with his having been beaten." On 9 April, the father died in hospital. "On 28 July 2019, the rape victim and her lawyer were seriously injured and two of her family members died when a truck struck their car. The truck had blackened license plates." wikipedia. It is not safe to accuse any BJP politician, with or without strong arms. Early this month, "BJP distanced itself Thursday from slogans raised by some of its workers during 'celebrations' marking the seventh anniversary of Article 370's abrogation the previous day after backlash over their alleged anti-women content." TOI. After the student protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi from 5 June to 25 July 2026  (wikipedia), on 26 July, "TG Mohandas, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue, who has served as convenor of the BJP's intellectual cell in Kerala, said "the women would be 'gang-raped' and no complaints would follow as 'the women there would enjoy it'." "Some women liked being raped, especially leftists, secular, democratic and proletarians," he said. The Wire. Not much different from ISIS. "One should remember that enslaving the families of the kuffar - the infidels - and taking their women as concubines is a firmly established aspect of Shariah, or Islamic law," the group announced in the ISIS publication the 'Dabiq'. CNN. "The evolution of Hindutva in politics is the antidote to the creation of vote banks and appeasement of sectional interests. Hindutva means justice for all." bjp.org. Not for victims of rape or sexual assault, obviously. Photo ops only.   

Only two exceptions.

 "Three months after CJI Surya Kant's 'cockroach' remark sparked a storm and gave birth to Cockroach Janta Party,... Supreme Court...sought responses from government and CBI on a PIL (public interest litigation) against those who commercially exploited the remark through clever editing of virtual court proceedings and draped it with a meaning that was never intended." TOI. "The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the domestic crime investigating agency of India" wikipedia. Surely, CJI Surya Kant knows exactly what he said and what he meant? How are the government and CBI going to read his mind? "There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don't get any employment or have any place in profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists and they start attacking everyone," are the exact words quoted in TOI. This is mainstream media and the meaning seems quite clear. The government's own, "The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025 annual report shows that 25% of India's youth (15-29 years, Gen Z) fall into the 'Not in Education, Employment or Training' NEET category. These youth are idle, doing nothing. Further, the unemployment rate, which counts those actively seeking employment" was 11.8% among graduates and 11.3% among post-graduates, wrote Subhash C Garg. "Shockingly, 40% of all youth (15-29 years) in the workforce are unpaid family labor. In 2024, about 28 million unemployed youth were looking for jobs; and about 100 million educated youth (mostly women) have stopped looking," wrote Profs Santosh Mehrotra & Jajati Parida. Whose fault is it that the economy produces no jobs? Is there no sympathy for the millions of young people looking at an empty, frustrating, blighted future? In May 2013, "A packed New Delhi courtroom sat in rapt silence this week as an irate Supreme Court judge denounced the elite CBI as 'caged parrot' and 'it's master's voice'." And "Justice RM Lodha loudly berated the attorney-general, the government's top lawyer, for what he said was clear evidence of interference in a CBI inquiry." Reuters. During the Emergency (1975-1977), "In what is now widely regarded as one of the most courageous judgments in Indian judicial history, Justice HR Khurana held that even during an Emergency, no person could be deprived of life or liberty without legal justification. He asserted, 'The question is not whether personal liberty can be restricted, but whether the rule of law can be entirely silenced.' He categorically stated that even the President could not suspend the rule of law or legal remedies guaranteed under the Constitution." He was denied promotion to Chief Justice even though he was the senior most judge. Law Trend. In August 2017, the Supreme Court "overruled 'expressly' the four-decades old controversial Emergency era verdict by which citizens were denied the right to approach a court to challenge detentions during the proclamation." FE. And yet, today, without declaring an Emergency, people are detained for years under the notorious Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) without any evidence of wrongdoing. "For all India figures, we have 2% to 6% conviction, meaning thereby that there is a 94% to 98% possibility of acquittal in such cases in the country. In so far as the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, the annual rate of conviction is always less than 1%," observed Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan in May 2026. In July, when a lawyer approached the Supreme Court on the matter of police brutality against unarmed protesters, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant told the lawyer, "Don't waste our time, and don't waste your time." When the lawyer offered to show videos as evidence he was told, "We are not interested in videos; we don't have time to watch." HT. Incarceration for years without evidence is fine, but there is no time for real evidence. Justice Khanna and Justice Lodha had the guts to stand up for principles and the dignity of law. They should not be held up as exceptions. Sadly, they are.          

From $3,000 to $14,000 in 20 years.

"According to Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog, India needs to grow at around 9% annually if it is to become a developed economy by 2047." Compounding at 9% per year the economy will double in size every eight years, and we need to attract at least $180-200 billion in foreign direct investment annually, but that will need predictable policies. "Uncertainty over taxation, customs procedures, regulatory decisions, dispute resolution and approvals can affect the economics of long-term investment." CNBCTV18. As per the World bank's classification, a developed, or high income, country is one with a gross national income (GNI) per capita of over $13,935 per year. India's GNI per capita was just $2,760 in 2025. Bangladesh was higher at $2,840, but Pakistan was much lower at $1,500. World Bank. "Foreign investors see impressive things in India." "Yet India remains a paradox: It can attract much more foreign investment, but it will not." "A TeamLease report found that setting up a stand-alone solar plant requires 2,735 compliances. Almost 40% of these are labor related." Firing workers is difficult. So, India needs labor reforms. But, "Reforms create losers in the short run, while benefits accrue only later."As Jean Claude Juncker said, "We all know what needs to be done. We just don't know how to get re-elected after doing it," wrote, Swaminathan Aiyar. Policy decisions should not be based on a whim. "India's disastrous demonetization in 2016 offers a striking example. With barely four hours' notice, 86% of the country's currency in circulation ceased to be legal tender." "The economic damage was enormous: markets were thrown into disarray, India's economic growth slowed for four years and youth unemployment surged to 26%," wrote Prof Kaushik Basu. To attract foreign exchange, "The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) unveiled a package centered on foreign-currency deposits from non-resident Indians." "The RBI also introduced incentives aimed at external commercial borrowings." These are short-term measures so the government is considering increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) from Rs 50 billion to Rs 150 billion without Cabinet-level scrutiny. "Foreign investors have long argued that India's dispute-resolution architecture is less attractive than competing destinations. The government is now examining changes that could make the investment regime more investor-friendly." ET. But why has it taken a possible currency crisis to agree to rules for fair trade? Why didn't we learn in 2021 when, "In a setback to India, Britain's Cairn Energy has secured a French court order to seize some 20 government properties in Paris to recover a part of the USD 1.7 billion due from New Delhi following an arbitration panel overturning levy of retrospective taxes." NDTV. Since oil is priced in dollars, a higher price of crude will cause a higher outflow of foreign exchange and a weaker rupee. That is why the government is discussing how to be reasonable. There is also China. China had a stockpile of 1.3-1.5 billion barrels of oil, and responded to the supply shock due to the Iran war by "sharply cutting crude imports, restricting exports of refined fuels and drawing on domestic inventories." "June deliveries plunged more than 41% from a year earlier to 7.12 million barrels per day (bpd)," which "allowed the global economy to absorb the loss of over 13 bpd of Middle Eastern exports." ET. China helped us by keeping the price of oil down. But what if China increases buying to replenish its oil stores, in addition to its daily imports? The Indian government has to understand that it has to obey rules if it wants foreigners to invest here. Cannot reply with pellet guns on foreigners as they did on Indian students (NDTV). Be trustworthy. If you can.