Introduction: The death toll of COVID-19 has reached 2.9 million by April 2021, a little less than 0.04% of the world population. In Wikipedia’s list of the largest known epidemics and pandemics caused by an infectious disease, COVID19 is ranked 8th in terms of its death tolls1. The deadliest known pandemic in history, the Black Death of […]
Author: Ashok Nag
Central Bank Digital Currency
In December 16 2019, I wrote this letter to RBI Governor To The Governor Reserve Bank of India Mumbai Sub: Possibility of introducing Central Bank Digital Currency in India- a Technical Blueprint Respected Sir, Many countries in the world including China are experimenting to introduce Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). I have worked out a […]
InThrall of Market
Quote: [The 1980s and 1990s saw a wave of liberalization sweep across African agricultural markets as part of broad structural adjustment plans. Inherent in the promise of these reforms was the presumption that a competitive private sector would emerge to take advantage of newly created arbitrage opportunities, with agricultural traders efficiently moving crops from surplus […]
A Tribute to Tagore in the Time of COVID-19
In this time of COVID-19 let us recall that poem of Tagore which was a clarion call for fearlessness, adherence to reason, universal humanism and empathy for “Others” who are not us. In this tribute to Tagore I have elaborated Tagore’s original lines (in red, italics and underlined) to emphasize that nothing much has […]
Cry Jamlo Makdam Cry
In a heartbreaking tragedy, a 12-year-old child labour – Jamlo Makdam died on 20th April after walking for 150 km from her workplace Bhupalpally in Telengana to her native place, Bijapur district in Chattisgarh. She was working in Chilly fields in Kannaiguda village. see here I have written a poem in her memory. Cry not […]
Corona Pandemic- One size does not fit all
“Blessed are the Meek, for They Will Inherit the Earth” (Matthew 5:5). Corona virus -COVID-19- started its journey in an industrial city of China sometimes in late 2019. Within a short span of 3 to 4 months it has enveloped the entire earth with its foot print, thus qualifying it to be designated as a […]
Poor as a Commodity
This is a blog that I wrote on 21st April 2010 for my earlier site . I am tempted to reproduce it without any revision today in the wake of Prof. Abhijit Banerjee getting his Nobel for his work on poor of the world. Although his work is extremely valuable and revolutionary from methodological point, […]
Adequacy of Reserve and Economic Capital Framework for RBI
How much forex reserve should RBI have? How much capital should RBI have? One simple answer to both these questions is- “it depends’. The obvious follow-up question is – it depends on what? And there is the rub. Is it given for a central bank to “die, to sleep – to sleep, perchance to dream” […]
Reserve Bank without its Reserve
Reserve Bank without its Reserve This is not the best of times for an economist to don the mantle of the governorship of the Reserve Bank of India. Whether it is the worst of the times- that only future can tell. Be that as it may, the public spat between the political executive and […]
Data Localization- Mercantilism in a Networked World
Data Localization- Mercantilism in a Networked World Economic ideas do not die. They resurface again and again, repackaged and refurbished, when the time suits it. Mercantilism is such an idea that politicians and policy makers love to espouse, albeit periodically. The basic premise of this doctrine is that international trade is a zero-sum game. The […]