GST, and not demonetization, to be a topic of discussion on finance at Vibrant Gujarat meet: State officials

By A Representative
The Gujarat government's high-profile biennial global business summit, to be held from January 10 to January 13, is unlikely to see any focus on the controversial demonetization move of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite growing apprehensions that it would sharply slow down India's economy and lead to the flight of capital from the country.
Addressing newspersons on the summit in Ahmedabad, Gujarat chief secretary JN Singh claimed that demonetization would “positively impact” on the summit outcome, as it is being held against the backdrop of the “bold” Modi move, leading to a great leap forward towards opening up floodgates of online transactions.
However, he said, during the panel discussion on finance, which would focus on Government of India's effort to introduce goods and services tax (GST) across the country, and in which Union finance minister Arun Jaitley would participate, “there would be no discussion on demonetization.” He added, “It is a temporary phenomenon. We are aiming at long-term gains.”
Singh informed newspersons that, while 10-odd Nobel laureates will be participating in Vibrant Gujarat meet and participate in a discussion especially meant for them, none of those who have won Nobel prize in economics have been called. “Only those who have won Nobel prize in science and technology have been invited. Eight to ten will participate”, he said.
Apart from finance, an official communique said, the issues to be discussed at the summit would be biotechnology, food processing, textiles, aerospace and security, plastics, engineering, heavy engineering and automation, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and health. Issues related with climate change – including promotion of solar power – does not find mention in the list.
Answering a question whether top India-born Nobel laureate in economics, Prof Amartya Sen, who is known to be sharp critic of demonetization, has been called, Singh answered in the negative, hastening to add, “There is going to be no discussion on issues related with economics at the summit. No economists have been called.”
While Prof Sen has described demonetization as despotic and authoritarian , American economist, Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, has characterized it as “highly disruptive”, pointing out, it is not going to change the overall behaviour towards black money in India.
Upbeat about the summit, the top Gujarat officials said, this is going to be a “much bigger event” than the earlier Vibrant Gujarat biennial events, held ever since 2003. To be held in the presence of Modi, PK Taneja, additional chief secretary, industries, said, this time, instead of eight in 2015 as many as 12 countries are going to partner with the Gujarat government at the summit.
These countries are, he said, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, United States, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates. “We do not expect a high-profile political delegation from the US, because January would mark transition in the US government”, Taneja said.
Similarly, Taneja said, there would be seven partner institutions that have decided to support the Vibrant Gujarat summit, as against five in 2015. These are Australia-India Business Council, Indo-Canada Chambers of Commerce, Japan External Trade Organization, UAE-India Business Council, UK-India Business Council, US-India Business Council, and British Council.
Answering a question, Taneja sad, so far 51,738 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) have been signed since 2003 at different Vibrant Gujarat summits. “Of these 34,232 MoUs are either under implementation or have been commissioned”, he said, noting, “Implementing MoUs is a long drawn out process, having various phases, hence all cannot be realized.”

Comments

Modi’s Israel visit strengthened Pakistan’s hand in US–Iran truce: Ex-Indian diplomat

By Jag Jivan M. K. Bhadrakumar , a career diplomat with three decades of service in postings across the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey, has warned that the current truce in the US–Iran war is “fragile and ridden with contradictions.” Writing in his blog India Punchline , Bhadrakumar argues that while Pakistan has emerged as a surprising broker of dialogue, the durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Lata Mangeshkar, a Dalit from Devdasi family, 'refused to sing a song' about Ambedkar

By Pramod Ranjan* An artist is known and respected for her art. But she is equally, or even more so known and respected for her social concerns. An artist's social concerns or in other words, her worldview, give a direction and purpose to her art. History remembers only such artists whose social concerns are deep, reasoned and of durable importance. Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was a celebrated playback singer of the Hindi film industry. She was the uncrowned queen of Indian music for over seven decades. Her popularity was unmatched. Her songs were heard and admired not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South Asian countries. In this article, we will focus on her social concerns. Lata lived for 92 long years. Music ran in her blood. Her father also belonged to the world of music. Her two sisters, Asha Bhonsle and Usha Mangeshkar, are well-known singers. Lata might have been born in Indore but the blood of a famous Devdasi family...

'Batteries now cheap enough for solar to meet India's 90% demand': Expert quotes Ember study

By A Representative Shankar Sharma, Power & Climate Policy Analyst, has urged India’s top policymakers to reconsider the financial and ecological implications of the country’s energy transition strategy in light of recent global developments. In a letter dated April 10, 2026, addressed to the Union Ministers of Finance, Power, New & Renewable Energy, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Vice Chair of NITI Aayog, with a copy to the Prime Minister, Sharma highlighted concerns over India’s ambitious plans for coal gasification and the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).

Health Day ads spark row as NAPi targets Britannia campaign, criticizes celebrity endorsement

By A Representative The advocacy group Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi) has raised concerns over what it describes as misleading advertising of ultra-processed food products (UPFs), particularly those high in sugar, fat and salt, calling for stricter regulations and an end to such promotions across media platforms.

Search This Blog