The 16th Finance Commission is expected to be set up by November. So, this week on Puliyabaazi we discuss how vertical and horizontal devolution is decided based on the formula set by the Finance Commission, why some redistribution is inevitable, and Pranay’s three ideas to incentivize better fiscal performance in the states.
वित्त आयोग की फार्मूला के अनुसार केंद्र और राज्यों के बीच टैक्स का बंटवारा कैसे होता है? इस आवंटन में क्या बदलाव किये जा सकते है ताकि राज्यों के वित्तीय कामकाज में सुधार हो? इसी पर प्रणय देते है कुछ सुझाव इस पुलियाबाज़ी में। तो सुनियेगा ज़रूर।
*****   useful links  *****
Let the Fiscal Federalism Games Begin by Pranay Kotasthane
https://publicpolicy.substack.com/p/227-looking-ahead-looking-back#%C2%A7india-policy-watch-let-the-fiscal-federalism-games-begin
Why the south-vs-north debate is a flawed way to analyse the 15th finance commission formula by Pranay Kotasthane
https://theprint.in/opinion/why-the-south-vs-north-debate-is-a-flawed-way-to-analyse-the-15th-finance-commission-formula/44706/
India’s Debt Dilemma by Barry Eichengreen, Poonam Gupta and Ayesha Ahmed
https://www.ncaer.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Paper-I-Barry-Poonam.pdf
Fifteenth Finance Commission Reports for 2021-2026
https://fincomindia.nic.in/ShowContent.aspx?uid1=3&uid2;=0&uid3;=0&uid4;=0
*****   more Puliyabaazi on Public Finance   *****
सरकार का पैसा आख़िर जाता कहाँ है? Understanding India’s Public Finance ft. Avani Kapur
https://puliyabaazi.in/episode/srkaar-kaa-paisaa-aakhhir-jaataa-khaa-hai-understanding-indias-public-finance-ft-avani-kapur
हमारी शहरी सरकारें इतनी कमजोर क्यों है? The state of India’s Municipal Finances
https://puliyabaazi.in/episode/hmaarii-shhrii-srkaare-itnii-kmjor-kyo-hai-the-state-of-indias-municipal-finances
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सोलहवे वित्त आयोग के लिए तीन सुझाव। 3 Ideas for the 16th Finance Commission

This Hindi Podcast brings to you in-depth conversations on politics, public policy, technology, philosophy and pretty much everything that is interesting. Presented by tech entrepreneur Saurabh Chandra, public policy researcher Pranay Kotasthane, and writer-cartoonist Khyati Pathak, the show features conversations with experts in a casual yet thoughtful manner.

जब महफ़िल ख़त्म होते-होते दरवाज़े के बाहर, एक पुलिया के ऊपर, हम दुनिया भर की जटिल समस्याओं को हल करने में लग जाते हैं, तो हो जाती है पुलियाबाज़ी। तो आइए, शामिल हो जाइए हमारी पुलियाबाज़ी में जहां हम एक से एक दिलचस्प विषय की तह तक जाएँगे, वो भी आम बोलचाल की भाषा में। 

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क्या आपने कभी सोचा है कि एक न्यायपूर्ण समाज कैसा दिखता है? आज हम न्यायपूर्ण समाज की दो परिकल्पना को समझेंगे, जॉन रॉल्स और रोबर्ट नोज़िक के दृष्टिकोण से। जॉन रॉल्स करते हैं समानता की पैरवी, जब के नोज़िक रखते हैं स्वतंत्रता का पक्ष। इस पुलियाबाज़ी में हम दोनों पक्षों के तर्क को समझने की कोशिश करेंगे।  क्या इसमें कोई समाधान की आशा है? वो तो आप ही सुनिए, सोचिये और बताइये।  In this episode of Puliyabaazi, we delve into the philosophical debate between John Rawls and Robert Nozick on what makes a just society. What is more important? equality or liberty? John Rawls proposes the "veil of ignorance" thought experiment, where individuals choose principles of justice for a society while not knowing their own social status. Robert Nozick, on the other hand, prioritizes individual liberty. His book Anarchy, State, and Utopia argues for minimal government intervention, emphasizing the right to keep what one has justly acquired.  The Debate Heats Up This episode is an exploration of these two differing points of view. We unpack their core arguments, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and delve into some real-world implications of their ideas. We discuss: * Is philosophy useful in crafting policy? * Rawls’ Theory of Justice * Greatest Equal Liberty Principle * Maximin Principle * Do we really believe in equality? * Nozick’s answer to Rawls * A patterned distribution will not work Readings: A Theory of Justice by John Rawls Anarchy, State and Utopia by Robert Nozick Listen to related Puliyabaazi: गांधी टैगोर की पुलियाबाज़ी. The Gandhi Tagore Debates एक सवाल, कई जवाब: क्या सम्पत्ति कर आर्थिक असमानता से निजात दिला सकता है? Can wealth tax solve economic inequality? If you have any questions for the guest or feedback for us, please comment here or write to us at puliyabaazi@gmail.com. If you like our work, please subscribe and share this Puliyabaazi with your friends, family and colleagues. Website: https://puliyabaazi.in Hosts: @saurabhchandra @pranaykotas @thescribblebee Twitter: @puliyabaazi  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puliyabaazi/ Subscribe & listen to the podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Castbox, AudioBoom, YouTube, Spotify or any other podcast app. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.puliyabaazi.in

एक न्यायपूर्ण समाज कैसे बनाएं? Rawls v/s Nozick Debate

भारत में भवन निर्माण कोड तो कई है, पर क्या वे सभी तर्कसंगत और व्यावहारिक है? समय के साथ जड़ हो गए बिल्डिंग कोड से भारतीय कंपनियों का कितना नुकसान हो रहा है? क्या है इसके दीर्घकालिक परिणाम? आज इस विषय को गहराई से समझेंगे भुवना आनंद और सरगुन कौर के साथ जिन्होंने स्टेट ऑफ़ रेगुलेशन रिपोर्ट में भारतीय फैक्ट्रियों के बिल्डिंग कोड का गहराई से अध्ययन किया है।   This week on Puliyabaazi, we discuss the State of Regulation Report on building standards with Bhuvana Anand and Sargun Kaur. Their report assesses building codes for factories across various states and finds that building codes in India are significantly more restrictive than other developing countries. Many codes are obsolete and archaic. What is the cost of such overly restrictive codes on firms in India? We discuss: * What are Building Regulations? * Regulations vs Safety * Historical context * Alternatives * Lessons from data and reality * Floor Area Ratio * Impact of excessive regulation * Regulations across sectors Reading recommendations by Sargun and Bhuvana: * State of Regulation Report by Bhuvana Anand, Sargun Kaur and Shubho Roy * How building laws lock India's factory land  * Some academic references: * Building regulations are a barrier to affordable housing in Indian cities: the case of Ahmedabad by Bimal Patel, Sweta Byahut, Brijesh Bhatha * Measuring welfare gains from relaxation of land-use restrictions: The case of India’s building-height limits by Jan K. Brueckner and Kala Seetharam Sridhar * Land markets, government interventions and housing affordability by Alain Bertaud * Emergence of sub-optimal land utilization patterns in Indian cities by Sweta Byahut, Bimal Patel and Jignesh Mehta * Link to Prosperiti's substack to read more about state-level regulations in India  Listen to related Puliyabaazi: श्रम कानून में सुधार कैसे लाया जाए? Reforming India’s Labour Laws ft. Bhuvana Anand भारत का भविष्य हमारे शहर तय करेंगे। Managing India’s Cities ft. Devashish Dhar, Author If you have any questions for the guest or feedback for us, please comment here or write to us at puliyabaazi@gmail.com. If you like our work, please subscribe and share this Puliyabaazi with your friends, family and colleagues.  Website: https://puliyabaazi.in Hosts: @saurabhchandra @pranaykotas @thescribblebee Twitter: @puliyabaazi  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puliyabaazi/ Subscribe & listen to the podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Castbox, AudioBoom, YouTube, Spotify or any other podcast app. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.puliyabaazi.in

फैक्ट्री बनाने के दुखड़े। How Poor Building Standards Hurt Indian Firms ft. Bhuvana Anand and Sargun Kaur

हम सभी जानते है कि भारत की राज्य क्षमता यानी की state capacity सीमित है। इसका असर आम भारतीयों के जीवन पर भी होता है। प्राथमिक शिक्षा का उदाहरण लें तो यदि हम यथास्थिति बनाए रखते हैं, तो 2047 तक, हमारे पास अन्य 20 करोड़ बच्चे होंगे जो बुनियादी साक्षरता के बिना प्राथमिक शिक्षा पूरी करेंगे। लेकिन बड़ा सवाल यह है कि राज्य की क्षमता कैसे बढ़ाई जाए? सरकारी नौकरशाही के ब्लैक बॉक्स को कैसे सुधारा जाए?  इन्हीं कुछ अहम सवालों के जवाबों की खोज प्रोफेसर कार्तिक मुरलीधरन की नयी किताब में। माफ़ कीजियेगा, ये किताब नहीं, ग्रंथ है। आज की पुलिया पर उसकी झांकी लीजिये, वो भी प्रोफ़ेसर साहब की सहज हिंदी में। हमें तो कई उत्तर मिलें। आप भी सुनिए, और कुछ सवाल हो तो हमें ज़रूर भेजिए।  The Indian state takes up mighty goals, but fails to fulfil them due to its limited state capacity. This has disastrous consequences on the lives of ordinary Indians. Take the example of primary education—if we maintain the status quo, by 2047, we will have another 20 crore children that will finish primary school without basic literacy. But the big question is how to increase state capacity? How to tweak the black box of government bureaucracy to make it work better?  In this puliyabaazi, we look for some answers from Prof. Karthik Muralidharan’s new book that combines scholarly research and practical insights to provide actionable, evidence-based strategies for better governance.  Readings: Accelerating India’s Development by Karthik Muralidharan  acceleratingindiasdevelopment.in Listen to related Puliyabaazi: आर्थिक सुधारों की कहानी मोंटेक सिंह अहलूवालिया की ज़ुबानी। Backstage with Montek Singh Ahluwalia बेलगाम संस्थाएं, जनता का नुकसान। Caged Tiger ft. Subhashish Bhadra If you have any questions for the guest or feedback for us, please comment here or write to us at puliyabaazi@gmail.com. If you like our work, please subscribe and share this Puliyabaazi with your friends, family and colleagues. Website: https://puliyabaazi.in Hosts: @saurabhchandra @pranaykotas @thescribblebee Guest: @karthik_econ Twitter: @puliyabaazi  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puliyabaazi/ Subscribe & listen to the podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Castbox, AudioBoom, YouTube, Spotify or any other podcast app. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.puliyabaazi.in

भारत के विकास की चाबी। Accelerating India’s Development with Karthik Muralidharan

इस हफ़्ते पुलियाबाज़ी पर हमारे दो बेंगलुरु निवासी होस्ट ‘कारे मेघा, कारे मेघा’ का आलाप लगाते पाए गए। पानी कब बरसेगा ये तो पता नहीं, पर इस पानी की समस्या में छिपे कुछ पब्लिक पॉलिसी के पाठ प्रणय ने ख़ोज निकाले। जब किसी संसाधन की कमी हो तो उसकी सही कीमत लगाने से  उसका सही उपयोग निश्चित किया जा सकता है, ये तो पुलियाबाज़ी के श्रोता जानते ही होंगे।  आज की पुलियाबाज़ी में नज़र दौड़ाते हैं बेंगलुरु में मिल रहे पानी की सही कीमत और उसे कौन चुकाता है इसके बारे में भी। इसी साथ पब्लिक पॉलिसी समझने के एक फ्रेमवर्क विकसैलियन कनेक्शन को भी समझ लेते हैं।  As the graph below shows, the silicon valley of India is experiencing a heat wave. This is going to exacerbate the ongoing water crisis.  While many find the solution in drawing more from Kaveri, Pranay analyses the issue through the framework of Wicksellian Connection—a public policy framework that looks for an overlap between the three aspects of utilising a scarce resource. Who decides? Who gets the benefit? Who pays for it?  How does Bengaluru’s water supply fare when tested on this framework? What are the consequences of such a Wicksellian Disconnection and how can it be resolved? This and more on today’s Puliyabaazi. We discuss: * A public policy view to water crisis * A Wicksellian Disconnection * Subsidising the elite * Water usage in Singapore * Solution based on this framework * Where to apply this framework? Readings: India Policy Watch #1: A Wicksellian Disconnection by Pranay Kotasthane Well Labs Bengaluru Urban Water Balance Report Bangalore Water Crisis: Marginal pricing of water, subsidies to poor may curb water woes by Anupam Manur Listen to related Puliyabaazi: भारत: एक भूजल सभ्यता। India: A Groundwater Civilisation. कावेरी जल विवाद को कैसे सुलझाएं? Resolving the Kaveri water dispute If you have any questions or feedback for us, please comment here or write to us at puliyabaazi@gmail.com. If you like our work, please subscribe and share this Puliyabaazi with your friends, family and colleagues. Website: https://puliyabaazi.in Hosts: @saurabhchandra @pranaykotas @thescribblebee Twitter: @puliyabaazi  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puliyabaazi/ Subscribe & listen to the podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Castbox, AudioBoom, YouTube, Spotify or any other podcast app. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.puliyabaazi.in

बेंगलुरु निवासियों का कारे मेघा आलाप। Bengaluru water crisis through Wicksellian Connection framework

आज़ादी के बाद भारत में जो राजनीतिक पार्टियां उभर कर आ रही थी उसमें से एक थी राजाजी द्वारा स्थापित स्वतंत्र पार्टी। उनकी कोशिश थी की आज़ादी के बाद के भारत में कांग्रेस की योजनाबद्ध व्यवस्था के सामने स्वतंत्र आर्थिक नीति के समर्थन में एक प्रतिपक्ष रखा जाये। क्या थी इस स्वतंत्र पार्टी की विचारधारा और उसकी राजनीति? जिस समय देश में समाजवादी विचारधारा का प्रभुत्व था उस समय अमरीका की लिबर्टेरियन विचारधारा से प्रभावित पार्टी कैसे उभर कर आ पायी?  हमें तो ये कहानी एक गुत्थी की तरह लगी जो हमारे मेहमान आदित्य बालसुब्रमन्यन अपनी किताब और इस पुलियाबाज़ी में बख़ूबी सुलझाते हैं। हिंदी में बोलने के आदी न होने के बावजूद आदित्य ने हिंदी में बात करने का विशेष प्रयत्न किया उस के लिए उन्हें शुक्रिया।  Join us in this conversation as we try to understand the origins and ideology of the Swatantra party, which was an attempt at offering effective opposition to Congress’s one party dominance in post-independence India. The party, founded by C. Rajagopalachari who famously formulated the term ‘Licence Permit Raj’, was influenced by libertarian thought and rallied behind the promise of a free economy in contrast to the planned economy of the erstwhile Congress government.  But history is seldom that straightforward. This story and its characters also have many shades. Listen patiently as our guest Aditya Balasubramanian narrates a comprehensive picture of the Swatantra party and its politics.  We discuss: * Understanding the roots of liberalisation * Emerging ideologies after independence * Free Economy vs Free Markets * Policy changes after independence * How did they gather electoral strength * Rallying around private property rights * C. Rajagopalachari’s involvement in Swatantra * Difference between theory and practice * The decline of Swatantra * The use of print public sphere Readings: Toward a Free Economy by Aditya Balasubramanian Listen to related Puliyabaazi: भारत में बैंकिंग : हुंडी से सरकारीकरण तक. History of Indian Banking Part 1. आज़ादी की राह: स्वदेशी बनाम खुले व्यापार की १५० साल पुरानी बहस। Historical Debate on Swadeshi vs Free Trade If you have any questions for the guest or feedback for us, please comment here or write to us at puliyabaazi@gmail.com. If you like our work, please subscribe and share this Puliyabaazi with your friends, family and colleagues. Website: https://puliyabaazi.in Hosts: @saurabhchandra @pranaykotas @thescribblebee Guest: @Aditya_Balasub Twitter: @puliyabaazi  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puliyabaazi/ Subscribe & listen to the podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Castbox, AudioBoom, YouTube, Spotify or any other podcast app. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.puliyabaazi.in

सोलहवे वित्त आयोग के लिए तीन सुझाव। 3 Ideas for the 16th Finance Commission

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