New Delhi:
The Economic Survey 2016, tabled in the Parliament three days ahead of the union budget calls India a "heaven of stability". Prannoy Roy discusses the top highlights with the man behind preparing the flagship report, Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian.
Prannoy Roy: Do you think disinvestment will go up this year?
Arvind Subramanian: Yes I think the government takes it very seriously
Part of the solution
- Uday Scheme: This will impose upon the state governments to take up a percentage of losses of discoms.
- If the discoms do not revive, the percentage of losses borne by the state governments will keep increasing every year.
- Essentially this will impose hard budget constraints on state governments.
The big focus for the Indian Economy in terms of pending agendas
With the government paying Rs 50,000 crore for its operations, is Air India really a brand ambassador?
The growing inequality in India is much more complicated compared to the rest of the world: Arvind Subramanian
Part of the solution:
- One way to solve it is increase skills, opportunities and reduce bounties for the rich
- Improve the quality of spending and improve education.
The statistics of unequal wealth distribution over the years in India compared to other countries
The percentage of government subsidies being utilised by the rich in different sectors.
Dietary patterns are shifting towards proteins. We need to boost the production of pulses: Arvind Subramanian
- One of things we need to do is increase minimum support prices for pulses.
- Government is doing that and backing it up with procurement.
Economy is sending mixed signals. Parts of it doing well: Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian to NDTV
- We have become so enamoured by manufacturing and startups but we can't ignore agriculture.
- We took corporate subsidy very seriously. This year that will come down.
The GDP growth rate 7 - 7.75 per cent
Prannoy Roy interacts with the team behind the Economic Survey 2015-16 led by the Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian