“We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.”
Saint Teresa
“हम कभी नहीं जान पाएंगे कि एक छोटी सी मुस्कान कितना भला कर सकती है।”
संत तरेसा
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Quote of the Day April 23, 2024
What is Hubble Tension?
Scientists from Germany and the U.K. have proposed a radical explanation for the discrepancy in measurements of the universe’s expansion rate, known as the Hubble tension. The Hubble Constant, denoted as H0, is a fundamental parameter in cosmology that describes the current expansion rate of the Universe. It is named after the renowned astronomer Edwin Hubble, who first observed the relationship between a galaxy’s distance and its apparent velocity. The Hubble Constant is expressed in units of kilometers per second per megaparsec (km/s/Mpc), which represents the speed at which galaxies move away from each other over a given distance.
The Emergence of Hubble Tension
The Hubble Tension arises from the fact that different methods of measuring the Hubble Constant have yielded inconsistent results. This implies that two equally valid ways to measure how fast the universe is expanding have yielded two different estimates. The two primary approaches used to determine H0 are:
- The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) method: This approach relies on observations of the oldest light in the Universe, the CMB radiation, and uses the standard cosmological model to infer the value of H0.
- The cosmic distance ladder method: This technique involves measuring distances to nearby galaxies using various astronomical objects, such as Cepheid variable stars and Type Ia supernovae, and then using these distances to calculate H0.
The problem lies in the fact that these two methods have produced significantly different values for the Hubble Constant, with the CMB method yielding a value of around 67 km/s/Mpc, while the cosmic distance ladder method suggests a higher value of approximately 74 km/s/Mpc.
Implications and Possible Explanations
The discrepancy between the two measurements of the Hubble Constant has far-reaching implications for our understanding of the Universe. If the tension persists, it could indicate that our current cosmological models are incomplete or that there are unknown physical phenomena at play. Some possible explanations for the Hubble Tension include:
- Systematic errors: There might be unaccounted-for systematic errors in one or both of the measurement methods, leading to the discrepancy.
- New physics: The Hubble Tension could hint at the existence of new physical processes or particles that are not accounted for in the standard cosmological model, such as dark energy or neutrinos with unexpected properties.
- Modified gravity: Some scientists propose that the tension could be resolved by modifying Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which underpins our understanding of gravity and the Universe’s expansion.
Ongoing Efforts and Future Prospects
Resolving the Hubble Tension is a top priority for cosmologists worldwide. Numerous research teams are working on refining the measurement techniques, searching for potential sources of error, and exploring alternative theoretical models. Modern astronomical facilities, such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, are expected to provide more precise data that could help shed light on this cosmic puzzle.
Recent Studies and Current Status
A study published in Monthly Notices of The Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS), where scientists suggest that the current model used to understand the Universe, called Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM), might be wrong and could be the reason behind the Hubble Tension. However, this is presented as a radical explanation and not a definitive solution.
Space Debris Threat to Earth’s Defenses
As the number of satellites in Earth’s orbit continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, experts are raising concerns about the potential impact of space debris on the planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere.
The Growing Problem of Space Debris
- Current estimates suggest that there are nearly 10,000 active satellites in orbit, with companies working to deploy tens of thousands more in the coming decades.
- Jonathan McDowell from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics projects that the number of satellites could reach 100,000 within the next 10 to 15 years.
- The rapid increase in satellite launches is resulting in a significant amount of space debris, including defunct rockets and satellites that are no longer operational.
Potential Impact on Earth’s Magnetic Field and Ionosphere
- The influx of metallic debris from defunct rockets and satellites could disrupt the ionosphere and magnetosphere, which are essential systems that protect Earth’s atmosphere and sustain life on the planet.
- The ionosphere, located roughly 48 to 965 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, is a region where atoms and molecules become ionized by solar radiation, creating a layer of charged particles that reflects radio waves and enables long-distance communication.
- The ionosphere also helps protect life on Earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
- The magnetosphere is a plasma cocoon that surrounds the Earth, interacting with the solar wind and cosmic radiation to create a shield against harmful particles and radiation from space.
The Scale of the Problem
- Current estimates suggest that the amount of metallic ash being dumped into the ionosphere annually is equivalent to multiple Eiffel Towers’ worth of debris.
- Unlike meteorites, which are small and contain only trace amounts of aluminum, the wrecked spacecraft are large and consist entirely of aluminum and other highly conductive materials.
- The accumulation of conductive materials in the magnetosphere could potentially trap or deflect parts of the Earth’s magnetic field, leading to regional perturbations and holes above the ozone layer.
Lack of Comprehensive Studies
- Despite the potential risks posed by space pollution, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on its impact on the magnetosphere and ionosphere.
- Plasma physicist Sierra Solter, who has been studying the issue, emphasizes the need for more research to understand the potential consequences of satellite debris on Earth’s plasma environment.
The rapid expansion of satellite constellations, driven by companies competing for dominance in the satellite internet market, is leading to an alarming accumulation of metallic debris that could disrupt the delicate balance of the magnetosphere and ionosphere, which play crucial roles in protecting life on Earth.
Doctors as Humans
A few years ago, I was on a return flight from New Delhi to Paris and New York, when the chief flight attendant suddenly broke up the humming silence and asked passengers to ring the call bell if anyone was a doctor. One physician, a tall and handsome young man, quietly rang the bell and was ushered to the front of the plane where another flight attendant was in physical distress due to a panic attack.
The doctor provided the treatment, and the patient was stabilized. Just a respectful and quiet thank you from the crew at the end of the flight along with a bottle of champagne and a cache of 75,000 frequent flier miles as a token of appreciation! A good doctor in the neighbourhood is a great blessing. “Wherever the art of medicine is loved,” thus spoke Hippocrates, “there is also a love of humanity.” The ancient Greek physician (460–370 BC), regarded as the father of medicine, also gave budding doctors the oath, “First Do No Harm.” But now when healthcare has become a most essential human right, much more is expected from doctors.
Today doctors, with and without borders, are in the killing fields of Ukraine and Gaza risking their lives to save lives. During the Covid-19 pandemic doctors and medical professionals played heroic roles, working endless days and nights, to save as many people as they could from an unprecedented massive global health crisis. Unbeknown to many of us, Artificial Intelligence played a crucial role in the development of Covid vaccines and the logistics of the vaccines global distribution. Early this month, Dr. Saeed Hassapour, Director of the Center for Precision Health and Artificial Intelligence at Dartmouth College, organized a symposium that drew some of the most brilliant AI experts, physicians, and researchers including, among others, Dr. Curtis Langlotz, a Stanford Professor and President of the Radiological Society of North America, known for his work in applying AI in medical imaging, and Dr. Faisal Mahmood, an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, credited for his contributions to digital pathology and AI in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and biomarker discovery.
The interdisciplinary gathering of experts discussed how AI can provide valuable insights from vast amounts of digital health data, leading to more efficient and personalized care. There was a strong emphasis upon the importance of ethical integration of AI tools into healthcare practices and the need for medical professionals to be trained on how to use these technologies responsibly and effectively.
AI algorithms can assist radiologists at every step of the imaging process; for example, providing inputs to help decide which imaging tests to order; enhancing image quality; detecting imaging problems to ensure faulty images are retaken; conducting preliminary assessment; and serving as virtual assistants for reporting observations and following up with patients. The goal is to eliminate human errors. As President Sian Beilock of Dartmouth College pointed out in her opening remarks at the symposium, researchers are developing AI tools to help diagnose colorectal cancer and identify novel biomarkers for breast cancer, offering quicker and more accurate detection to facilitate timely treatment.
Digital mental health technologies, such as web-based and mobile tools, are being developed to transform mental health care. These tools can impact mental health outcomes of users by predicting behaviours, symptoms, and engaging in interventions and therapeutic approaches based on the predicted symptoms. With its capacity to sift through massive amounts of digital health data, AI can detect patterns that are hard for humans to see, thus helping radiologists to detect subtle signs of cancer with greater accuracy and informing which course of treatment is most likely to work for a patient with a certain medical history. That is the wonderful world of IA medicine dawning upon us. But it also raises important and complex questions about security, privacy, biases, ethics, and equity.
And that brings us back to the pivotal role of doctors, and how best to educate them in the age of AI high expectations with its emphasis upon diagnostic efficiencies, superb patient management (for brand reputation and to avoid lawsuits), and humanizing the increasing impersonal healthcare delivery systems. Under their white coats, habitual smiles and calm demeanours, let us not forget doctors are people too with the same human frailties as any of us ~ families under stress, fear and hopes about growing children, divorces, addictions, and most of all the pressure to keep up professionally with Joneses.
Just think about Dr. House in the American television medical drama where Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), a brilliant and unconventional diagnostician but a person with compromised ethics and messed up life, and given to substance abuse, is unable to have steady family or friendly relationships. Although TV dramas entertain us, they do reflect social realities. The case of Dr. House may be emblematic of a larger social problem of the medical community. According to American Addiction Centers, “Few careers have such odd working hours and so many traumatic situations as those in the healthcare industry. The high levels of stress and physical pain that often come with this job open the door for numerous types of addiction,” adding that “approximately 5.5 per cent of medical professionals struggle with illicit drug abuse.”
Equally serious is the problem of the physician burnout despite radical advancement through Artificial Intelligence. In 2022, for example, 71,309 doctors gave up their profession in the USA. Medical schools and hospitals do not talk about it. Perhaps the next Dartmouth Dialogue or Symposium should be about doctors as humans. Along with the integration of Artificial Intelligence with healthcare, the foundation of medical education needs a reset. It should rest firmly on the Humanities, Medical Humanities, as someone suggested in a recent dinner conversation I had with some Dartmouth alumni and friends.
The art and science of medicine, the liberal arts, and the humanities ~ song and dance, musicals, theatre, comedy ~ go together to make a good doctor in the age of Artificial Intelligence. More than anyone else doctors need a good sidesplitting belly-laugh once in a while.
NARAIN BATRA
Source: The Staesman, 22/04/24
(The writer is the author of several books including the most recent India In A New Key: Nehru To Modi. Under the auspices of the Osher Institute at Dartmouth College, he is scheduled to deliver, on Friday 24 May, a public lecture, Superintelligence: Why We Need It. The lecture would be available in YouTube)
Manipur’s Dilemma
Today, as the first votes are cast in India’s general election, the spotlight naturally turns to the bustling political activities across the country.
Today, as the first votes are cast in India’s general election, the spotlight naturally turns to the bustling political activities across the country. Yet, in the remote north-eastern state of Manipur, a contrasting scene unfolds, marked not by fervent public rallies but by a conspicuous silence borne out of fear. Manipur, along with most other north-eastern states, step into the electoral process today alongside Tamil Nadu in the south.
Unlike the rest, though, Manipur carries the weight of on-going strife and the palpable fear of violence. Manipur’s quiet streets during this significant democratic exercise are a tell-tale sign of the deep-seated troubles that have plagued the state. Ethnic tensions between the majority Meitei community and the minority Kuki-Zo tribes have escalated into a violent conflict that the Centre and the BJP-ruled state seems unable to quell. The state, split into two hostile enclaves, is a stark representation of the failure to foster peace and unity. The situation in Manipur is not just a local issue but a test of India’s ability to manage its internal affairs.
The promise of democracy is to provide a voice to all its constituents, yet the people of Manipur feel forgotten, their grievances largely unaddressed. The Centre’s responses, including strategic changes to border policy and security measures, have thus far not mitigated the tensions, and in some cases, may even have exacerbated them. The general elections are a time of hope and change, yet for many in Manipur, the vote casts a shadow rather than light. Despite the despair, there is a reluctant drive among the people to participate in the voting process. This dichotomy underscores a critical aspect of democracy: the right to vote, which is both a privilege and a powerful tool for expressing an opinion. Whether this democratic change will bring about change though remains in question.
The local support for the BJP points to a complex interplay of resigned acceptance and hopeful expectation that the Union government will eventually intervene more constructively. The Congress party’s promises to bridge the community divisions if elected offer an alternative, but whether this can convert into electoral gain or meaningful change is uncertain. Manipur’s electoral significance may seem minor on the national scale with its two seats in the Lok Sabha. Yet, the state’s current turmoil is a significant indicator of the broader challenges facing India’s democracy.
It is a reminder that the strength of a nation’s democratic process is tested not at the height of its peaceful gatherings but in the quiet corners where fear and conflict overshadow the fundamental and democratic act of voting. As India votes, it must not forget Manipur. The true measure of this election’s success will lie in how it addresses the silent challenges unfolding in such neglected regions, ensuring that every part of the country can partake of the democratic promise of peace, security, and prosperity.
Source: The Statesman, 19/04/24
Tuesday, April 09, 2024
Quote of the Day April 9, 2024
“Your imagination is the preview to life's coming attractions.”
Albert Einstein
“आपकी कल्पनाशक्ति आपके जीवन के आने वाले आकर्षणों का पूर्वावलोकन है।”
एल्बर्ट आइन्स्टाइन
22 New Products Added to Geographical Indication (GI) Registry
In March 2024, the Geographical Indication (GI) registry of India added 22 new products from the states of Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, and Meghalaya. These products are now protected under the GI tag, which recognizes their unique qualities and geographical origin.
Assam
The state of Assam saw the inclusion of 12 products in the GI registry:
- Asharikandi terracotta craft
- Pani Meteka craft
- Sarthebari metal craft
- Jaapi (bamboo headgear)
- Mishing handloom products
- Bihu dhol
- Bodo Dokhona (traditional attire of Bodo women)
- Bodo Gamsa (traditional dress of Bodo men)
- Bodo Eri silk
- Bodo Jwmgra (a traditional scarf)
- Bodo Thorkha (a musical instrument)
- Bodo Sifung (a long flute)
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh had five products added to the GI registry:
- Banaras Thandai, a drink made by blending milk with a mix of nuts, seeds and spices
- Banaras Tabla
- Banaras Shehnai
- Banaras Lal Bharwamirch
- Banaras Lal Peda
Tripura
Two products from Tripura were granted GI tags:
- Pachra-Rignai (traditional dress worn on special occasions)
- Matabari Peda (a sweet preparation)
Meghalaya
Three products from Meghalaya were added to the GI registry:
- Meghalaya Garo Textile weaving
- Meghalaya Lyrnai Pottery
- Meghalaya Chubitchi (alcoholic beverage)
About GI Registry
The Geographical Indication (GI) registry is a system that recognizes and protects products with unique characteristics, qualities, or reputation associated with their geographical origin. Established under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, the GI registry grants legal protection to products, preventing unauthorized use of the registered name. The GI tag helps preserve cultural heritage, promote economic development, and assure consumers of the product’s authenticity and quality.
A spirit that shines
Social progress of Mizos is striking in many ways. It runs counter to their geographical isolation & it has come notwithstanding many years of savage violence between insurgents & the State
Last month, I spent several stimulating days in Mizoram. I had some knowledge of the state’s political history, met numerous Mizos in the course of my life, but never visited the state before.
I flew first to Guwahati, where I caught up with some old friends, gloried in my sightings of the Brahmaputra, and spoke on Gandhi to the teachers and students of the university. On the flight to Aizawl, I had naturally opted for a window seat. I watched with a growing sense of anticipation as the plane breached the white line of the clouds and flew perilously close to the hills before making a very assured landing. At the airport, I was made to fill out an ‘Inner Line Permit’, an archaic relic of the British raj which — at least for Indian citizens — is long past its sell-by date.
A passenger train is a better way to see the countryside than an aeroplane; but a car is perhaps an even better way still. The drive from Lengpui Airport to the state capital, Aizawl, took an hour and a half, long enough to get a sense of the landscape.The shape of the hills reminded me of the sub-Himalayan district, thenin Uttar Pradesh, now in Uttarakhand, where I was born and raised. So did the narrow and winding roads and the fast-flowing streams. The vegetation was somewhat different; plenty of bamboo, a fair amount of deciduous trees, but — unlike in Uttarakhand — no coniferous species. And the human population seemed much more sparse too.
This last feature was deceptive; for the town of Aizawl, with homes built adjacent to one another on every level of every hill, was strikingly reminiscent of Naini Tal and Mussoorie. However, the traffic was noticeably more orderly than in a northern hill town. Drivers scrupulously followed lane discipline, waiting for a traffic jam to unblock itself rather than cut corners and make things messier.
I was in Aizawl for a seminar organised by the Pachhunga University College, established in 1958, and the oldest such institution in the state. The college has many girls and boys, freely mixing together in a manner altogether impossible in some Hindu-dominated areas of Uttar Pradeshor in some Islamic-dominated districts of Kerala. I have spoken in colleges in those parts too, to find, even in technically co-educational institutions, that boys and girls are not encouraged to befriend one another and sit separately in classroom and seminar hall alike.
In this respect, Pachhunga University College was entirely representative of the state as a whole. Walking the streets, going to the shops, striking up conversations in cafes — all testified to the advancement of women in the state. So do the statistics. Mizoram has the second-highest rate of female literacy among all the states of India; and the highest rate of female workforce participation. About 60% of Mizo women work outside the home; this is more than twice as high as the all-India rate, which stands at less than 30%. And Mizo women are far more likely to be working in better paid or more responsible jobs than women anywhere else in India. To quote from a Press Trust of India report of July 2022: “Mizoram has the highest 70.9 per cent ratio of female-to-male workers among those working as legislators, senior officials and managers, followed by Sikkim (48.2 per cent) and Manipur (45.1 per cent)…”
The social progress of the Mizos is striking in many ways. It runs counter to their geographical isolation and it has come notwithstanding many years of savage violence between insurgents and the State. Aizawl, the bustling and to all eyes utterly peaceful town I was now walking and talking in, had once borne the unlikely distinction of being the first Indian habitation to be strafed by the Indian air force.
This happened in the spring of 1966, after an armed group, the Mizo National Front, had launched an insurrection against the Indian State. The MNF was led by a one-time accountant called Laldenga, who had been deeply affected by a famine in the Mizo Hills some years previously, when widespread starvation had brought forth an utterly inadequate response from the government in New Delhi. Thinking that the Mizos had no prospect of an honourable future within India, Laldenga made contact with the military government of East Pakistan, which promised him arms and financial support. On the Pakistani side of the border, camps were created where young Mizo rebels were trained in the use of modern weapons.
In February 1966, the MNF attacked government offices and disrupted communications. It declared that the Mizos had formed an ‘independent’ Republic of their own. The insurgents captured one town, Lungleh, and were pressing hard on Aizawl too. The Indian State now sent in massed detachments of the army and also (as noted) the air force. Yet the rebels fought on fiercely, and it took another two decades for the conflict to finally end and for a settlement to be forged, through which Laldenga became chief minister of the Indian state of Mizoram rather than prime minister or president of a sovereign Mizo nation.
The grandparents, and possibly even some of the parents, of the students I spoke to in Aizawl would have lived through those times of violence, fleeing from their homes, seeking refuge in the forests, caught in the crossfire between the insurgents and the State. That after the settlement was forged the Mizos so quickly and completely rebuilt their lives is a testament to their sagacity and their courage.
Suffering can make people vindictive, prone to take revenge on others because of what they have been through themselves. That has been true of many descendants of Partition refugees and of descendants of Holocaust victims too. Yet in the Mizo case, their own history has made them deeply compassionate towards the suffering of others. Consider the ways in which they have welcomed victims of persecution in Myanmar and Bangladesh, many Christians like themselves, but quite a few Buddhists too. More recently, the Mizos have nobly borne the burden of Kukis fleeing the ethnic conflict in Manipur, taking on responsibilities that are rightfully those of the Union government.
A recent essay in the excellent magazine, Grassroots Options, attributes the community spirit of Mizo life to the legacy of jhum or swidden agriculture, which historically provided their main means of sustenance and livelihood. Involving cooperation across family units, jhum “created a social bond with one another and with nature. All these shared values and ideas eventually morphed into a code of social conduct.” The Mizo word for this code is Tlawmmngaihna, which Grassroots Options translates as “upholding humbleness in service, … particularly [to] the needy, sick, disabled and widowed under any and all circumstances.”
The community ethos of the Mizos predates the coming of Christianity to the region. For the most part, the Church has reinforced this spirit of working together. However, an admirable selflessness has, in some instances, surfaced as an unnecessary puritanism. Fearing the wrath of the bishops, successive state governments have introduced prohibition, which has led to an epidemic of bootlegging and the consumption of spurious spirits. In a culture where home brewing was traditionally practised and where temperance was rarely regarded as a sign of moral or spiritual uplift, imposing abstinence by government fiat has had counter-productive effects. And it has caused a substantial loss to the state exchequer too. Taxes on liquor legally brewed and legally consumed could go some distance in improving the decrepit roads of Mizoram.
Prohibition apart, my trip to Mizoram renewed my admiration for the people of a state I previously knew only through its history and its diaspora. Tragically, in common with the other states of the Northeast, Mizoram has counted for too little in the life of the Republic. The region has been treated by successive regimes in New Delhi with condescension and neglect, partly or even largely because it accounts for so few Lok Sabha seats. Yet, we in the so-called ‘mainland’ have a great deal to learn from the Mizos — from their community spirit, their ability to recover from defeat and despondency, their lack of caste prejudice and the relatively high status of their women, their love of life and of music.
Ramachandra Guha
Source: The Telegraph: 6/04/24
Bridging Inequality
Looking at the ever-increasing size of the Union Budget, doubling every three years, Finance Ministers are hard pressed to generate resources to meet the Central Government’s ballooning expenditure. Competitive populism dictates that more and more money is spent on handouts and freebies every year, and except for some token gestures like doing away with senior citizen concession on train travel, nothing much is done to curb expenditure. All parties, both at the Centre and in States, pay lip service to elimination of subsidies and freebies, but promptly forget their promises once elections are announced.
A situation has emerged where one political party’s welfare expenditure is another party’s freebie, and viceversa. The Central Government, whenever it needs extra funds, often takes short cuts like increasing GST rates or playing around with Central Excise levies on petroleum products. This is child’s play for the Government, since the Centre now controls all significant levers of taxation; Direct Taxes through Income-tax, and almost all Indirect Taxes through GST. State Governments follow the Centre’s lead, wherever they can.
Such ill-thought measures affect citizens adversely, because incidence of tax i.e., the particular segment of the population that has to pay the tax, is rarely one of the considerations. Even otherwise, Indirect taxes hit the poor more; according to the latest Oxfam report “Survival of the Richest: The India Story,” a little less than two-thirds (64.3 per cent) of the total GST is paid by the bottom 50 per cent of the population, one-third of the GST is collected from the middle 40 per cent, and only 3-4 per cent from the richest 10 per cent of the country.
Another toxic method is to resort to deficit financing. According to the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act 2003, fiscal deficit was to go down to 3 per cent of GDP by 31 March 2008, and reduce annually by 0.3 per cent thereafter, yet the fiscal deficit on 31 March 2024 is estimated at 5.8 per cent ~ far in excess of what was originally envisaged. Also, according to FRBM, Central Government Debt should not exceed 40 per cent of GDP by 2024-25, but according to Budget Estimates, Central Government Debt is slated to touch 82.4 per cent of GDP by 31 March 2025. The ills of uncontrolled State borrowing are many; it is a debt we incur, but which is repaid by future generations. Almost two and a half centuries ago US President Thomas Jefferson had observed: “The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.”
Thus, there are many good reasons for reducing Government expenditure. Unfortunately, all such reasons pale into insignificance in the face of compulsive populism. The FRBM Review Committee Report made a host of recommendations for ensuring fiscal prudence, including the setting up of an autonomous Fiscal Committee to manage fiscal strategy. None of the Committee’s recommendations have been implemented. Also, the Fifteenth Finance Commission had recommended a review of Central Schemes, with axing of unviable ones. However, Revised Estimates for Financial Year 2023- 24, show an expenditure of Rs.19.06 lakh crore on Central Schemes, out of total Budget expenditure of Rs.44.90 lakh crore, with no review of Central Schemes in sight. Obviously, an efficient tax system along with a brake on profligacy can help the Government balance its books.
But, sadly, in the recent past, no thought has been paid to the review of the overall taxation structure. Even in the third decade of the twenty-first century, Direct and Indirect taxes operate in different silos in India, never mind that most advanced countries, including UK and USA, have integrated both long ago. The first report of the Tax Administration Reforms Commission (headed by Dr Parthasarthy Shome), submitted on 30 May 2014, suggested integration of the two Revenue Boards, but even this suggestion got lost in the turf wars of North Block. Post-Covid, when the West faced economic uncertainty, certain ultra-rich public minded citizens, came forward offering to pay extra tax, to rescue their governments. No corresponding movement was seen in India, but the public noticed that in Covid times, when ordinary citizens faced extreme distress, certain categories of businesses like pharmaceutical companies and pharmacists, online retailers etc., made extraordinary profits.
In India, post-Covid, after a K-shaped economic recovery, though strenuously denied by Government agencies, the difference between the rich and poor has exacerbated, which has drawn the attention of a host of international agencies, including Oxfam and UNDP. Recently, a paper titled “Income and Wealth Inequality in India, 1922-2023: The Rise of the Billionaire Raj” authored by Thomas Piketty, Lucas Chancel, and Nitin Kumar, stated bluntly: “By 2022-23, top one per cent income and wealth shares (22.6 per cent and 40.1 per cent) are at their highest historical levels and India’s top one per cent income share is among the very highest in the world, higher than even South Africa, Brazil, and the US.” Notably, the share of the top 1 per cent was 6.1 per cent in India’s wealth and income in 1982, which rose steadily thereafter, with the rise being much more pronounced during the Covid period.
Currently, according to Hurun Research Institute’s 2024 Global Rich List, India is home to 271 billionaires, with 94 new billionaires added in 2023 alone. The number of new billionaires added last year is more than in any country, other than the US. The billionaires’ collective wealth amounts to almost US$1 trillion ~ nearly 7 per cent of the world’s total wealth. The Chancel, Piketty and Kumar Report also stated that more government expenditure on health, education, and nutrition was required to improve the lot of average Indians, so that the fruits of economic progress and globalization could trickle down to them.
The Report has prescribed a “super tax” of 2 per cent on the net wealth of the 167 wealthiest Indian families in 2022-23 which would garner 0.5 per cent of national income in revenues, and “create valuable fiscal space to facilitate such investments.” This is a worthwhile suggestion. Myriad anomalies have crept in the Indian taxation system, which was conceptualised by Nicholas Kaldor in the 1950s and implemented in the early 1960s (See “Taxation Travails,” 5 March 2024). Raising more revenues, the way the Government does it, i.e. by increasing GST rates, would only lead to more burdens for the poor. Probably, the required revenue for social sector spending could be generated by levying wealth tax on individuals holding assets in excess of Rs.100 crore, as also inheritance tax on inheritances above Rs.100 crore.
Needless to say, concentration of wealth will also get diluted, to some extent, by these taxes. The two main objections to re-introduction of the Wealthtax and Inheritance Act are: These taxes were discarded long ago because of difficulty in computation and also because they did not yield a significant amount of revenue. These objections are easily met. Presently, almost the entire wealth of the ultra-rich is held in financial assets like shares, mutual funds etc. which are liquid, divisible and easily valued in a transparent manner. Secondly, these taxes will affect only a minuscule proportion of taxpayers, which will ensure proper supervision by tax authorities, but as seen above, would result in generation of a sufficient amount of revenue.
Also, because of the liquid nature of the majority of assets, ‘hardship cases’ of children rendered homeless after a parent’s death due to inheritance tax, or holders of immovable property not being able to pay wealth-tax, will be few and far between. Then, there could be exemption clauses for a certain value, or for a certain asset class, or for both. In the ultimate analysis, taxation is a necessary evil for a civilised nation. As Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. had said in one of his famous judgements: “I like to pay taxes. With them, I buy civilization.”
DEVENDRA SAKSENA
Source: The Statesman, 08/04/24
Monday, April 01, 2024
Quote of the Day April 1, 2024
“We are responsible for the effort, not the outcome.”
Geeta
“हम प्रयास के लिए उत्तरदायी हैं, न कि परिणाम के लिए।”
गीता
Extension of AFSPA in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in certain districts of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland for an additional six months, effective from April 1, 2024. The decision follows a review of the law and order situation in these northeastern states.
Arunachal Pradesh
In Arunachal Pradesh, the AFSPA has been extended for six months in the following areas:
- Tirap, Changlang, and Longding districts
- Areas under the jurisdiction of Namsai, Mahadevpur, and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district, bordering Assam
Nagaland
In Nagaland, the AFSPA has been extended for six months in the following districts and police station areas:
- 8 districts: Dimapur, Niuland, Chumukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, and Peren
- 21 police station areas in five other districts of Nagaland, which has a total of 16 districts
Powers Under AFSPA
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, grants sweeping powers to security forces in areas deemed as “disturbed”. Under the AFSPA, armed forces personnel are authorized to search, arrest, and open fire if deemed necessary for maintaining public order.
Reduced Application of AFSPA
In April 2022, the Centre reduced the number of disturbed areas under AFSPA in many parts of Nagaland, Assam, and Manipur. The Act was lifted from Tripura in 2015, Meghalaya in 2018, and Mizoram in the 1980s. Despite these reductions, the AFSPA remains in force in Jammu and Kashmir.
Demands for Repeal
Several political parties, NGOs, and civil society organisations in the northeastern region have been demanding the complete repeal of the AFSPA. Critics argue that AFSPA has led to human rights violations, while supporters claim it is necessary to maintain order in conflict-ridden areas.
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