Ila Patnaik writing for the mass media

My writings in the Indian Express and the Financial Express.

2008

The nineties nightmare, 6 May 2008. kw- rising interest rates, CRR, credit growth, industrial slowdown.
RBI's 79 page misreading, Financial Express, 30 April 2008. kw- credit poicy, sterilised intervention.
Let the rupee climb, 21 April 2008. kw- inflation, foreign exchange intervention.
Unmade in America, Financial Express, 21 April 2008. kw- credit policy, inconsistent monetary policy framework.
Redraft the policy framework, Financial Express, 8 April 2008. kw- Raghuram Rajan report on financial sector reforms.
A capital idea, 8 April 2008. kw- capital controls, Q3 2007-08 Balance of Payments.
How RBI imported high prices, 4 April 2008. kw- inflation, rupee depreciation, RBI intervention.
And Bihar still does not get it, 28 March 2008. kw- capex investment, per capita investment in states.
Engineering of the rupee, 12 March 2008. kw- rupee depreciation, RBI intervention.
Time to either cut or run, Financial Express, 6 March 2008. kw- GDP growth, IIP growth, interest rates.
The Plan expenditure fixation, Financial Express, 29 February 2008. kw- revenue expenditure, capital expenditure, plan expenditure, non-plan expenditure.
No free lunches here, 28 February 2008. kw- fiscal deficits, interest payments.
Understatement is not a virtue, 26 February 2008. kw- fiscal transparency, true fiscal deficit, oil bonds, food bonds, fertilizer bonds.
Home is where the dollar goes, 14 February 2008. kw- remittances, interest differentials, net capital flows.
Bankers without borders, 9 February 2008. kw- monetary policy framework, capital flows.
How to be ordinary, 29 January 2008. kw- countercylical policy, credit policy.
Fewer degrees of freedom, Financial Express, 29 January 2008. kw- credit policy, slowdown, capital inflows, capital surge, interest differentials.
And we all fall down, 22 January 2008. kw- Fed rate cuts, stock market.
Cut rates now, 17 January 2008. kw- IIP, slowdown, capital inflows, capital surge, interest differentials.
Do capital controls work?, 7 January 2008. kw- Balance of payments, capital inflows, capital surge, other capital flows.

2007

The case for cutting rates, Financial Express, 28 December 2007. kw - Repo and reverse repo rate cut, capital controls, rupee appreciation.
RBI must do a Fed, 14 December 2007. kw - Fed rate cut, capital controls, rupee appreciation.
Global rebalancing, Financial Express, 30 November 2007. kw - US slowdown, Chinese macroeconomic policies.
Oiling the economy, 26 November 2007. kw - crude oil prices, oil at hundred, rupee appreciation.
Aam aadmi in the hot seat, 16 November 2007. kw - CPI, WPI, inflation, money supply, rupee appreciation.
Surge and the rupee, 6 November 2007. kw - rupee appreciation, RBI intervention, one way bet.
The fuss about credit policy, 30 October 2007. kw - credit policy, sterilized intervention.
Nothing durable about it, Financial Express, 25 October 2007. kw - CPI consumer durables, basket.
Dangers of a one-way bet, 23 October 2007. kw - banning participatory notes, fii inflows, rbi intervention.
Go with the flow, 18 October 2007. kw - banning participatory notes, capital account convertibility.
Figure of nine, 11 October 2007. kw - US recession, Indian exports of goods and services.
India's growth prospects, Financial Express, 27 September 2007. kw - medium term growth in India, investment, labour supply.
The not so good news on inflation, 26 September 2007. kw - inflation, CPI, WPI, cost of living.
Fed in or fade out, 21 September 2007. kw - stock market, US Fed rate cut.
Haryana hurricane, 19 September 2007. kw - CAPEX data, states, investment, projects under implementation.
What has the rupee got to do with it?, 7 September 2007. kw - exports, REER.
Taxing times, good times, 22 August 2007. kw - tax revenue, corporate taxes.
The fear index, 22 August 2007. kw - housing, US subprime market.
Comparing monetary policies, Financial Express, 23 August 2007. kw - India, China, currency, interest rates.
Subprime mindset, 18 August 2007. kw - housing, US subprime market.
Dollar doldrums, 6 August 2007. kw - currency policy, monetary policy, sterlised intervention.
Grand ideas and gritty detail, Financial Express, 5 August 2007. kw - N K Singh, Politics of Change: A Ringside View
How is your risk appetite today?, 2 August 2007. kw - US subprime market.
Policy without framework, 27 July 2007. kw - repo rate, reverse repo rate, LAF.
India's untenable currency policy, Financial Express, 26 July 2007. kw - rupee, pegged exchage rate.
Let us waste 0.5 percent of GDP, 18 July 2007. kw - export sops, rupee appreciation.
The Mistry report mystery, Financial Express, 29 June 2007. kw - Mumbai, International Financial Centre, MIFC.
Some house truths, 8 June 2007. kw - housing market, real estate bubble.
Get real about the impossible trinity, Financial Express, 24 May 2007. kw - ECB.
Poor Distribution System, 24 May 2007. kw - public distribution system.
The taming of the rupee, 10 May 2007. kw - currency policy.
Making monetary policy more effective, Financial Express, 25 April 2007. kw - credit policy.
Monetary mix-up, 2 April 2007. kw - monetary policy, sterlised intervention.
Quiet trouble in West Bengal, Financial Express, 28 March 2007. kw - West Bengal state budget.
Only 3.5 percent matters, 28 March 2007. kw - banking regulation
A fresh mandate for RBI, 20 March 2007. kw - monetary policy, interest rates, REER, export growth.
Percentage game, 12 March 2007. kw - Taylor rule, interest rates, inflation.
Growth story in volatile times, 9 March 2007. kw - India growth, US business cycles, housing market.
PC delivers politically correct, 1 March 2007. kw - Budget 2007, fiscal deficit, inflation, GST.
Fiscal tightening must do its part, 21 February 2007. kw - Petrol, diesel, inflation, fiscal deficit, government expenditure.
Taking an interest in credit, 2 February 2007. kw - Monetary policy, interest rates, inflation.
Look what's on the menu at Neemrana, 27 January 2007. kw - Applied economic research in India, NCAER NBER Neemrana conference.
Good intentions need a solid backbone, Financial Express, 24 January 2007. kw - budget, expenditure.
Special Zone called India, 20 January 2007. kw - Special economic zones.
Inflation at 2-year high, 20 January 2007. kw - inflation, interest rates.
Futures in the market, 6 January 2007. kw - commodity futures.
Inflationary pressure may up interest rates, 2 January 2007. kw - inflation, real interest rates.
GDP growth in 2007, 1 January 2007. kw - GDP growth.

2006

Infrastructure: theirs and ours, 22 December 2006. kw - rural infrastructure report, NCAER.
Combination lock to recombination unlock, Financial Express, 26 December 2006. kw - banking, China, India.
Really, consumer is queen, 16 December 2006. kw - consumption, China, India.
Trickle down economics is good for health, 24 November 2006. kw - GDP growth, infant mortality, public health services.
Hindi Chini FTA, 22 November 2006. kw - India China FTA.
The man who helped millions escape poverty, Financial Express, 21 November 2006. kw - Milton Friedman.
Micro Scope, 11 November 2006. kw - Microfinance, India, SHGs.
Four per cent tips, 11 November 2006. kw - Inflation, Central banking.
Trust and television, Financial Express, 7 November 2006. kw - trust, television, social capital.
New path or alleyway, 26 October 2006. kw - NHAI, Model Concession Agreement.
Don't loosen the purse strings, Financial Express, 10 October 2006. kw - GDP growth, FRBM.
To sustain GDP growth, 30 September 2006. kw - GDP growth.
Just where is the world economy headed, 24 October 2006. kw - US GDP growth, housing, business cycles.
China should worry about its high savings, Financial Express, 26 September 2006. kw - Savings rate.
India China hype?, 23 September 2006. kw - IMF-World Bank Annual meetings, RBI, capital account covertibility, CAC-2.
The inevitability of capital account convertibility, 19 September 2006. kw - IMF-World Bank Annual meetings, India, China, currency flexibility, RBI, capital account covertibility, CAC-2.
FDI lessons from China, 18 September 2006. kw - IMF-World Bank Annual meetings, FDI in China, SEZ.
The future of the World Bank in India, 17 September 2006. kw - IMF-World Bank Annual meetings, World Bank, failed states.
World Bank report slams India on governance, 16 September 2006. kw - IMF-World Bank Annual meetings, Governance Indicators.
The India China story, 15 September 2006. kw - IMF-World Bank Annual meetings, India, China, growth.
Explained: Regional Trade Agreements, 15 September 2006. kw - regional trade agreements.
Paisa wise, Rupee foolish, 4 September 2006. kw - RBI, capital account covertibility, CAC-2.
Chidambaram vs Ahluwalia,Financial Express, 29 August 2006. kw - FRBM, social sector spending.
How to solve the RBI problem, 22 August 2006. kw - RBI, monetary policy, banking regulator.
Eleventh approach to the same plan?, 15 August 2006. kw - eleventh plan, public health, education vouchers.
Taming the cycle, Financial Express, 15 August 2006. kw - GDP volatility, countercylical policy, RBI, monetary policy.
How the plot thickens, 2 August 2006. kw - land acqusition, eminent domain, SEZ.
The importance of being fiscally responsible, Financial Express, 1 August 2006. kw - FRBM, current account deficits, default.
The high risks in high deficits, 27 July 2006. kw - FRBM, inflation, current account deficit.
First payoff to structural pension reform, 22 July 2006. kw - Sixth Pay Commission, New Pension System.
Economic growth best antidote to poverty, Financial Express, 18 July 2006. kw - South Asia, poverty, growth.
As Buddha tries to put house in order, VS courts fiscal irresponsibility, 10 July 2006. kw - State budgets, Kerala, West Bengal.
India's ailing public health services, Financial Express, 4 July 2006. kw - Eleventh plan approach paper.
End of Distress, 1 July 2006. kw - farmer suicides, agricultural policy.
To fund welfare, 24 June 2006. kw - disinvestment.
Bad Economics Zones, 21 June 2006. kw - FRBM, SEZs.
Looking for a better consumer price index, Financial Express, 20 June 2006. kw - WPI, CPI, inflation measures.
Taxes by the litre, 13 June 2006. kw - petroleum taxes.
The destabilizing foreign hand, Financial Express, 6 June 2006. kw - FIIs, stock markets.
Two years of the UPA: The good, the bad and the ugly, May 2006. kw - Economic policy of UPA.
What Arjun should focus on, 16 May 2006. kw - Education, SSA.
The fall of stock markets: A global story, Financial Express, 23 May 2006. kw - stock markets, inflation, interest rates.
Licence Raj in Education, 21 May 2006. kw - education, permits, licences.
Why Amma worries, Buddha doesn't, 10 May 2006. kw - State elections, growth rates.
Growth, poverty and employment in states , Financial Express, 9 May 2006. kw - poverty, employment, convergence, states.
Employment exchanges, 3 May 2006. kw - employment exchanges.
Cleaning up the IPO market, 2 May 2006. kw - SEBI, IPO.
Monsoon forecast, 26 April 2006. kw - Monsoon, business cycles, GDP.
Managing expectations, Financial Express, 25 April 2006. kw - monetary policy, expectations.
Needed, a deep and liquid bond market, Financial Express, 11 April 2006. kw - debt market, bonds.
Impact of SBI strike, 7 April 2006. kw - SBI, deposits, cheques, ATMs.
RBI: Red Brigade of India, 30 March 2006. kw - capital account convertibility, RBI.
The euphoria over savings rate, Financial Express, 28 March 2006. kw - savings, investment, current account, public savings.
Gained in Translation on capital account convertibility, 23 March 2006. kw - capital account convertibility.
How provident is this fund?, 10 March 2006. kw - excluded provident funds, EPFO.
Budget 2006, March 1, 2006. kw - Budget 2006.
State of the fiscal Union, 27 February 2006. kw - budget speech.
More funds for secondary level, but can the government spent it well?, 16 February 2006. kw - secondary education.
A future of their own, 3 February, 2006. kw - tiger conservation, tribal bill.
Why FM won't remove India Inc's FBT headache, 12 January, 2006. kw - fringe benefit tax, income tax.
Whose policy is it anyway?, 28 January, 2006. kw - RBI, interest rate, hike.
Fate worse than jail for Telgi, 19 January, 2006. kw - stamp paper, scam.
Listen, Mr Chidambaram, 12 January, 2006. kw - tax exemption, budget.

2005

DTH: Direct from government?, 28 December, 2005. kw - cable TV.
Subsidy on icecream, anyone?, 9 December, 2005. kw - EPF, interest rate.
Who killed Manjunath?, 28 November, 2005.
Bihar reloaded. Hope Floats in a Basket Case, 23 November, 2005. kw - Laloo, Nitish Kumar.
Dangers - Bharat Nirman, 20 November, 2005. kw - infrastructure, highways.
Gained in Translation. Ben Bernanke, 4 November, 2005. kw - Fed Chairman, Alan Greenspan.
India, single national market, 26 October, 2005. kw - Kelkar, VAT, GST.
The English language and India's working population, 14 October, 2005. kw - globalisation.
A driving licence in 50 minutes and all legal, 11 October, 2005.
What is wrong with exisiting pension schemes and how the NPS offers a better deal?, 8 October, 2005. kw - civil servants, EPFO, EPS.
ABC of stock market manipulation, 1 October, 2005. kw - stock price, speculation.
An immature market economy, 23 September, 2005. kw - stock market.
Car import racket, 17 September, 2005. kw - car, customs, duties.
Which Loss Making PSUs should be sold and how, 15 September, 2005. kw - PSUs, Privatisation.
Outcome budget, 3 September, 2005. kw - outcome budget, spending.
A cost benefit analysis of saving the tiger, 25 August, 2005. kw - project tiger.
EGA: The best anti-poverty programme or the biggest scam?, 19 August, 2005. kw - Employment Guarantee Act.
Restrictions on capital inflows, 17 August, 2005. kw - foreign capital, inflows.
The revaluation of the Chinese yuan and the implications for India, 1 August 2005. kw - China, currency.
A power less exotic, 27 July, 2005. kw - Nuclear energy
Dispelling the Spookes about Nukes, 25 July, 2005. kw - Nuclear energy
Responding to global warming, 8 July, 2005. kw - Kyoto Protocol , global warming.
Turn the clock back, 7 July, 2005. kw - IDA, FERA, MRTP.
Will interest rates go up?, Financial Express, 4 July, 2005. kw - monetary policy, interest rates.
Sensex up,but not the sentiment, 11 June, 2005. kw - stock prices,P/E ratio
Close down redundant ministries, Financial Express, 6 June, 2005. kw - ministry, commerce, steel.
The mystery of capital, 30 May, 2005. kw - SEBI, UBS.
On the common man's credit, 6 May, 2005. kw - Saving Deposit.
Evidence on trade union and EPF membership, 5 May, 2005. kw - trade union members, EPF rate.
States join queue for new pension, but Bill hangs, 2 May, 2005. kw - New Pension Scheme.
Don't be shy about FII, 28 April, 2005. kw - FII.
It takes too long to start business in India, longer than in the region, 27 April, 2005. kw - World Bank Study.
First savings survey shows majority have no retirement nest egg, 27 April, 2005. kw - Pensions.
How the Left pensioned off the aam admi, 25 April, 2005. kw - Pensions bill.
Get young Indians to pay for old Europeans, 11 April, 2005. kw - OECD countries, income tax.
Please, will you step into my parlour?, Financial Express, 11 April, 2005. kw - OECD countries.
Fear of floating, 21 March, 2005. kw - Exchange Rate.
For successful pension regulation, Financial Express, 14 March, 2005. kw - Pension.
Some Cheer In These Taxing Times, 1 March, 2005. kw - Budget, tax.
Finding the money for a social conscience, 28 February, 2005. kw - Budget 2005.
Long-term strategy for Budget 2005 , Financial Express, 28 February, 2005. kw - Budget 2005.
Let the iron rooster take wing, 26 February, 2005. kw - Railway Budget.
Look beyond General stereotypes, 23 February, 2005. kw - Budget, Pakistan.
No gimmicks, please, 20 February, 2005. kw - Budget, Taxes.
Here's to Budget 2005, 12 February, 2005. kw - Budget, Tax reforms.
Market takes a stand on Sebi chair, (with Gautam Cikarmane), 29 january, 2005. kw - SEBI.
Learning from Mayurbhanj, 21 January, 2005. kw - EGA.
Oh VAT a lovely tax, 19 January, 2005. kw - VAT, Budget.
VAT's the good word for Budget 2005 , Financial Express, 17 January, 2005. kw - VAT.
From India on move, a reverse signal, 13 January, 2005. kw - RBI, FII.
From supercyclone, Orissa has seven tips for Black Sunday relief, 7 January, 2005. kw - Tsunami, relief.
Here, food for work does mean food & work, 2 January, 2005. kw - Employment Guarantee Act

2004

Reserving all judgement, 20 December, 2004. kw - Private Sector, RBI.
Have accountability in forex management , Financial Express, 20 December, 2004. kw - Forex reserve, RBI.
Day of declining dollar, 18 December, 2004. kw - Currency, RBI.
Dollars dollars everywhere but not very much to buy, (Part-II) 1 December, 2004. kw - Foreign Exchange Reserves.
Reserving currency to go shopping abroad, (Part-I) 29 November, 2004. kw - Foreign Exchange Reserves.
When oil and oil don't mix, 22 November, 2004. kw - PSU, Banks, Merger.
Public Sector capitalism, 10 November, 2004. kw - PSU, Ministries.
Oil the economy's problems, 6 November, 2004. kw - Crude Oil.
Monetary policy: Make the process open, Financial Express, 25 October, 2004. kw - Credit policy, Repo rate.
RBI's pride, India's dilemma, 25 October, 2004. kw - Forex Reserves, RBI.
Confessions of a recent Linux convert, 18 October, 2004. kw - Linux, Operating System.
Govt can reap Rs 79,000-cr harvest, Left won't mind, 6 October, 2004. kw - Disinvestment.
Bad examples of India abroad, 5 October, 2004. kw - Export.
Kelkar's one-stop solution for fiscal woes, (with Rahul Pathak), 3 October, 2004. kw - Goods & Services Tax.
Kelkar has a parting shot: Reforms should begin at home, in Finance Ministry, (with Rahul Pathak), 1 October, 2004. kw - Kelkar, Taxes.
It is pointless to fake exports, Financial Express, 30 September, 2004. kw - Exports, Exchange Rate.
Strike one for privatisation, 22 September, 2004. kw - Privatisation, PSU Banks.
Beware of lazy banker, 20 September, 2004. kw - Interset Rate, Bonds, Risk.
Five minutes to understanding CRR, 19 September, 2004. kw - Cash Reserve Ratio.
As Indians age fast, get ready for more pensioners, more tax burden, 19 September 2004. kw - EPFO.
A run for your bank, 16 September, 2004. kw - PSU Banks, NPA.
The bank's a private matter, 15 September, 2004. kw - PSU Banks, Privatisation.
No one's talking of this hole in Govt's pension poceket: Rs. 17,500 crore, 9 September,2004. kw - Provident Fund.
Extend The civil servants' pension scheme to the poor, Financial Express, 8 September, 2004. kw - Pension, EPFO.
There's a hole in the bucket, 8 September 2004. kw - Provident Fund.
The animal spirits of the new entrepreneur, 30 August 2004. kw - Public Sector, Private Sector.
Your guide to share and bonds, 24 August 2004. kw - Shares & Bonds.
Stock market: basics, 21 August 2004. kw - Stock Market.
Lost in interest, (with Navika Kumar), 18 August 2004. kw -Provident Fund, Civil Servants Pension.
Cess in a cesspool, 13 August 2004. kw - Education Expenditure, Education Vouchers, Enrolment, Drop Out Rates, CMP.
But consumers aren't complaining, 13 August 2004. kw - Inflation, CPI, WPI.
Drought proofing India, 9 August 2004. kw - Business Cycles in India, Monsoon Cycles.
Inflation, 7 August 2004. kw - Inflation.
Depreciation rates and India Inc's taxes, 6 August 2004. kw - Kelkar Task Force.
Troubled by trade, 1 August 2004. kw - Book Review, Globalisation, Jagdish Bhagwati.
High stakes for service tax, 29 July 2004. kw - GDP, VAT.
Brave new world for exporters, 28 July 2004. kw - Custom Rate, VAT.
Tax buoyancy: Devils in the details, 27 July 2004. kw - Tax Buoyancy, GDP.
Tax revolution way to zero deficit, Govt told, 24 July 2004. kw - VAT, Tax.
7 steps to preventing EPF abuse, 20 July 2004. kw -Provident Fund, Interest Rate, Tax Rebate.
Turn over this tax, 19 July 2004. kw - Stock Markets, Turnover Tax.
Chidambaram's budget lacks vision for refrorms, Financial Express, 9 July 2004. kw - Financial Budget 2004-05, GDP.
He s banking on 24% hike in tax revenue, question: will that happen?, 9 July 2004. kw - Optimistic Revenue Projections. kw - Financial Budget 2004-05.
Tuning in to FM, his budget, 8 July, 2004. kw - Budget.
The ABC of EPFO, 8 July, 2004. kw - EPFO.
Railway budget, 7 July 2004. kw - Railway Budget, 2004-05.
Food Policy, 2 July 2004. kw - Cereals, Non-cereals.
What Next On Interest Rates, Financial Express, 25 June 2004. kw - Interset Rate, GDP.
VAT, 24 June, 2004. kw - VAT.

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