Vipaasana

     All nations of the world desire to develop rather than grow. Growth is quantitative and talks only about the economy as a whole while development is qualitative and talks about the quality of growth of individuals who make up the nation. In order to attain this development, inclusivity becomes the prime criteria and Cooperative federalism is the first step towards inclusivity.      Federalism is a concept wherein the powers are divided between the centre and the states quite rigidly. The centre cannot interfere in the matters of the states and vice versa. The Indian constitution is a blend of rigidity and flexibility. In order to ensure the unity and integrity, there is some rigidity and to be inclusive there is some flexibility. When there is too much separatist attitude of the state, the constitution gives some  leverage to the centre to maintain the unity and at the same time provides provisions for the states to be independent in their own sph...

     Almost all the countries of the world today have adopted a mixed economy and the State plays at least a limited role in the welfare of the people. Income redistribution has become one of the core activities of the government and taxation is one of the tools used in income redistribution.      The proceeds of the tax are used in various developmental activities like infrastructure development of road, rail or shipway. Some part of it may also be used for subsidising some of the basic amenities to the poor. So basically taxation acts as a sort of equaliser by guaranteeing the poor a basic minimum dignity of living. When there is too much taxation in the economy, the individual liberty to grow is effectively curbed and under taxation leads to exploitation and the suffering of the poor. Over taxation acts as tax terrorism and under taxation does not support inclusive development. Hence there is a need to find an equilibrium in the taxing rate keeping in mi...

     If we consider human history or the history of any wild animal for that matter, violence has been an ultimate and dominant expression. Today no country can maintain its integrity and survive as an entity without the army or the use of some kind of force.      Ego is the inherent characteristic of all organisms. We can identify ourselves as 'us' because of this ego. This ego is responsible for us having a consciousness that we are differentiated from the surrounding nature. When we are able to identify a certain material of our body as us, then there is an overall system consciousness. This kind of consciousness forms the primary ego of an individual. It is because of this primary ego that we are able to understand "What is me and what is not me". This sense of differentiation is also present in animals but it is more evolved and complex in humans. Humans have a consciousness about their own consciousness; that is we can question and identify our own co...

   Credits : Aishwarya.      Education in a society should cater to the creation of knowledge and not just certificates. Reforms in the education system have been made recently to introduce holistic learning upto the undergraduate program. The new policy would be beneficial to equip the future generation with a variety of skill sets. This flexibility in the education system to choose the subjects of different streams would enable the students to develop self esteem, confidence and a willingness to learn by reducing unnecessary stress caused by a one shoe fits all principle in the curriculum.      From the colonial era where the Macaulay system of education has been imbibed into our system, the big question is how would the present generation accept and adapt to the new changes brought about by the National Education Policy(NEP). Whether the transition will be smooth or rough? How much time is needed to accrue its real benefits? In a country where ...

       The world economies have collapsed and the poorest of the poor have been exposed to a most vulnerable situation. The pandemic has exposed the fallibility of our institutions and beliefs and shows glaringly how inequities in society create different survival situation in the time of crisis. It is time that the governments of the world intervene and provide necessary emancipation.      Almost all the governments in this democratic post modern world are necessarily established with the promise of welfare. Even if the government claims to be a capitalist, then also there is a shred of welfare of the few by maintaining law and order. In that sense, we can safely say that the primary purpose of the government is welfare. Keeping this in mind the government must act both as a parent and as a friend towards the people and nurture confidence within them for better times ahead.      Similar to all the other economies, the Indian economy is ...

     The dawn of the internet era and the ushering of the age of social media brought in a chain of hopes in society to make it more inclusive. Along with it came a slew of the downside of social media. Addiction and inertia became the new norm among adolescents, youths and adults.      Indian demography is quite young and it will not remain so forever. This demography has to be utilised and converted into dividend before the window of opportunity closes which is around 2047. In order to convert into a dividend, there must be reforms in human development in terms of income, health and education. If the government invests in these three sectors carefully in a planned manner, the benefits are sure to be accrued  in coming 10 to 15 years. With empowered citizens, India will certainly travel on a path of inclusive development towards the end of the century.      The advent of the social media and games could prove to be a hurdle in inclusive...

(Content by Aishwarya. Edited by me.)           Technology and globalisation have led to a major progress in the world although not without demerits. Advances in the field of medicine, agriculture, industry, etc. can be attributed to the technological prowess. Artificial intelligence was believed to take the place of professionals like doctors, teachers, engineers, etc. Robotics, coding and such were being taught as main subjects in colleges. The world was set to take off into a technological revolution.      After the pandemic broke out, life became unpredictable. Depression, Domestic Violence, Suicides, Frustration and in some cases death soared high among the so called "SUCCESSFUL POPULATION". Their emotional stability was tested to its upper threshold and this, questioned the norms of their lifestyle and values. Social network became the new norm of communication among family and friends. Social distancing and cleanliness norms became emp...