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Operation Sindoor: When Indian missiles rained on Pak terror parade

<div class='ite_mg_banner ads__container'><div class='it_mg_bnrBox'><div class='ite_bnr_cont'><div class='ite_cont_dtl'> <h4>Subscribe to India Today Print + Digital. Your First Month Is On Us. <span class='bold_text'> ₹299/month</span> thereafter. Cancel anytime.</h4><a href='https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsubscriptions.intoday.in%2Findiatoday%3Futm_source%3Dtop-web-banner ' class='ite_subscribe_btn origin_conscent_url' target='_blank'>SUBSCRIBE</a></div></div></div></div>

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<div class="itg-mosimage"><amp-img src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Fmedia2%2Findiatoday%2Fimages%2Fstories%2F1995March%2Frajesh_110612041248.gif" alt="" height="425" width="650" class="" layout="responsive"></amp-img>Kelkar in Ahluwalia's shadow<p>Both Vijay Laxman Kelkar and Montek Singh Ahluwalia - the new man in the finance secretary's room in North Block and the one to step out- are committed to reform.</p><p>The difference is that Ahluwalia started off in the world of public policy as a reformer whereas Kelkar is a "born again" reformist. He began his career in the Government in the '70s in the charmed circle of leftist bureaucrats like D.P. Dhar, Lovraj Kumar and Gopi Arora - men who wished the state to capture the commanding heights of the economy, with Indira Gandhi at the commanding heights of politics. </p><p>But this difference has narrowed down over time. Just as much of yesterday's socialism has become "wasm", with both sides of the ideological picket fence clamouring for economic policies to be left alone by politicians.<br><br>In the Finance Ministry, Kelkar's entry is with the tide, whereas Ahluwalia had to swim against it. When the spry and dapper former World Bank economist became the Economic Affairs Secretary in 1991, the air in Raisina Hills was heavy with anti-globalisation rhetoric. </p><p>Its practitioners had just vacated their lofty chairs, but not before leaving the economy in a shambles. Whether the five years of "Manmohanomics" that followed had infused some life-blood into it is still a point of debate. </p><p>But it clearly put to an end a dirigisme economic philosophy and reduced the time lag in public policy environment between India and the rest of the world. It also turned India, from a nation tottering on the brink of bankruptcy, to an interesting transition economy which the world began to watch. </p><div class="itemcenter"><amp-iframe height="62" title="" width="320" sandbox="allow-forms allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-top-navigation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" allowfullscreen src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Findiatoday%2Fbanner%2Fpreferred-source-new.html%3Fv%3D1.014%5Cu0026native%3D1" class="mrBt15 preferred-source-banner"> </amp-iframe></div></p><p>At least a part of its credit should go to Ahluwalia, who had headed the Income Distribution Division of the World Bank at 25, authored a seminal work on rural poverty when he was 32, and was on first-name terms with some of the most powerful economists of the '90s-Lawrence Summers, Michael Camdessus and Stanley Fisher.<br><br>Kelkar, on the other hand, flowered as a public policy planner during his stint as chairman of the Bureau of Industrial Costs and Prices (BICP) from 1987 to 1991. An engineer from Pune, and armed with a PhD in economics from Berkley, Kelkar brought into the stale corridors of a government office a rare understanding of the "real sectors" of economy, such as technology, research and development, markets and pricing. <br><br>As BICP chairman, he drafted a report on pricing electricity and another on telecom services, which greatly influenced official thinking on these subjects in the later era of liberalisation. At the BICP, he also devised pricing mechanisms for drugs and for the aromatic products derived from petrochemical plants. </p><p>These pricing exercises were the forerunner of future thinking that the states should stay away from setting prices of products and services as much as possible. As petroleum secretary between 1994 and 1997, he helped dismantle the administered pricing mechanism in the oil sector and headed a select group of executives in preparing the blueprint for the entire sequence of reforms in the oil sector. Before taking over as finance secretary, Kelkar was chairman of the Tariff Commission with the task of simplifying and revising the excise taxes and customs duties.<br><br>So Kelkar moves into his new office, leaving a blazing trail. But Ahluwalia was losing his sparkle over the years, due largely to the failure of the P.V. Narasimha Rao government to control the politician-banker stockbroker-bureaucrat mafia-best evident in the 1992 securities scam and the Indian Bank scandal. </p><p>The economic slowdown since 1995 finally weighed down heavily on the North Block's shiniest star. Kelkar has, therefore, moved into an office where, as a newly appointed adviser to the ministry quips, "things cannot get much worse."<br><br>In another wing of the building, the Revenue Department, the change of guard from N.K. Singh to Javed Choudhary signals the transition from a colourful leader to a low-profile bureaucrat. For Choudhary too, the entry is well-timed with the tax receipts picking up in the first quarter. </p><p>Also lucky is S.D. Mohila, the new chairman of the Central Board of Excise and Customs. The new team in North Block should thank their masters if an economic recovery is round the corner.<br></p><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">AtMigration </div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Jun 24, 1998</div></div></div><div class="sendros">--- ENDS ---</div></div></div>

economy

Economy

<div class="itg-mosimage"><div class="itgimage"><img  title=""  class="" alt="" src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Fmedia2%2Findiatoday%2Fimages%2Fstories%2F1995March%2Frajesh_110612041248.gif" loading="lazy" /></div>Kelkar in Ahluwalia's shadow<p>Both Vijay Laxman Kelkar and Montek Singh Ahluwalia - the new man in the finance secretary's room in North Block and the one to step out- are committed to reform.</p><p>The difference is that Ahluwalia started off in the world of public policy as a reformer whereas Kelkar is a "born again" reformist. He began his career in the Government in the '70s in the charmed circle of leftist bureaucrats like D.P. Dhar, Lovraj Kumar and Gopi Arora - men who wished the state to capture the commanding heights of the economy, with Indira Gandhi at the commanding heights of politics. </p><p>But this difference has narrowed down over time. Just as much of yesterday's socialism has become "wasm", with both sides of the ideological picket fence clamouring for economic policies to be left alone by politicians.<br><br>In the Finance Ministry, Kelkar's entry is with the tide, whereas Ahluwalia had to swim against it. When the spry and dapper former World Bank economist became the Economic Affairs Secretary in 1991, the air in Raisina Hills was heavy with anti-globalisation rhetoric. </p><p>Its practitioners had just vacated their lofty chairs, but not before leaving the economy in a shambles. Whether the five years of "Manmohanomics" that followed had infused some life-blood into it is still a point of debate. </p><p>But it clearly put to an end a dirigisme economic philosophy and reduced the time lag in public policy environment between India and the rest of the world. It also turned India, from a nation tottering on the brink of bankruptcy, to an interesting transition economy which the world began to watch. </p><div class="itemcenter"><iframe scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="62" awidth="320" aheight="62" amplayout="fixed" src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Findiatoday%2Fbanner%2Fpreferred-source-new.html%3Fv%3D1.014" class="preferred-source-banner" loading="lazy"></iframe></div><style>.preferred-source-banner{  margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}</style></p><p>At least a part of its credit should go to Ahluwalia, who had headed the Income Distribution Division of the World Bank at 25, authored a seminal work on rural poverty when he was 32, and was on first-name terms with some of the most powerful economists of the '90s-Lawrence Summers, Michael Camdessus and Stanley Fisher.<br><br>Kelkar, on the other hand, flowered as a public policy planner during his stint as chairman of the Bureau of Industrial Costs and Prices (BICP) from 1987 to 1991. An engineer from Pune, and armed with a PhD in economics from Berkley, Kelkar brought into the stale corridors of a government office a rare understanding of the "real sectors" of economy, such as technology, research and development, markets and pricing. <br><br>As BICP chairman, he drafted a report on pricing electricity and another on telecom services, which greatly influenced official thinking on these subjects in the later era of liberalisation. At the BICP, he also devised pricing mechanisms for drugs and for the aromatic products derived from petrochemical plants. </p><p>These pricing exercises were the forerunner of future thinking that the states should stay away from setting prices of products and services as much as possible. As petroleum secretary between 1994 and 1997, he helped dismantle the administered pricing mechanism in the oil sector and headed a select group of executives in preparing the blueprint for the entire sequence of reforms in the oil sector. Before taking over as finance secretary, Kelkar was chairman of the Tariff Commission with the task of simplifying and revising the excise taxes and customs duties.<br><br>So Kelkar moves into his new office, leaving a blazing trail. But Ahluwalia was losing his sparkle over the years, due largely to the failure of the P.V. Narasimha Rao government to control the politician-banker stockbroker-bureaucrat mafia-best evident in the 1992 securities scam and the Indian Bank scandal. </p><p>The economic slowdown since 1995 finally weighed down heavily on the North Block's shiniest star. Kelkar has, therefore, moved into an office where, as a newly appointed adviser to the ministry quips, "things cannot get much worse."<br><br>In another wing of the building, the Revenue Department, the change of guard from N.K. Singh to Javed Choudhary signals the transition from a colourful leader to a low-profile bureaucrat. For Choudhary too, the entry is well-timed with the tax receipts picking up in the first quarter. </p><p>Also lucky is S.D. Mohila, the new chairman of the Central Board of Excise and Customs. The new team in North Block should thank their masters if an economic recovery is round the corner.<br></p><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">AtMigration </div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Jun 24, 1998</div></div></div><div class="sendros">--- ENDS ---</div></div></div>

With Kelkar replacing Ahluwalia as finance secretary, the chariot of liberalisation rolls on.<br />

India Today

With Kelkar replacing Ahluwalia as finance secretary, the chariot of liberalisation rolls on.

Reformatory - India Today

With Vijay Laxman Kelkar replacing Montek Singh Ahluwalia as finance secretary, chariot of liberalisation rolls on

Reformatory

Several parts of Delhi are likely to face water shortages as treatment plants reduce output due to high ammonia levels in the Yamuna. The disruption is expected to continue till February 4, according to Delhi Jal Board officials.

delhi-pollution-014615354-16x9.jpg

Delhi to face water supply disruption till February 4 due to high ammonia levels in Yamuna

Australia’s T20 World Cup build-up has hit another snag with Nathan Ellis ruled out of the BBL finals. The injury adds to growing fitness concerns around Australia’s pace group ahead of the global tournament.

Nathan Ellis

Australia’s T20 World Cup concerns deepen as Nathan Ellis ruled out of BBL

The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Central Government and the Archaeological Survey of India after a plea by the Hindu Dharma Parishad over the control and lighting practices at the Thirupparankundram Temple in Madurai.

Thiruparankundram row

Madurai hill shrine row: Supreme Court seeks response over 24-hour lamp lighting

Employees across India often face uncertainty when requesting leave for family emergencies, as statutory protection exists only for certain types of leave. Compassionate and emergency leave largely depend on employer discretion, leaving private sector workers particularly vulnerable.

Employee leave policy in India: Legal rights, limitations and practical realities

Tata Motors has strengthened its commercial mobility push by introducing petrol and CNG versions of the Xpres, expanding the fleet-focused sedan range beyond the electric variant.

Tata Motors expands Xpres fleet range with petrol and CNG options

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In an exclusive interview with India Today TV Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai at Davos, Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama spoke in fluent Hindi and slammed Donald Trump for his remarks and recalled his student days in India. 

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Twenty people, including women and children, were left stranded 75 feet above the ground after an amusement ride malfunctioned at an exhibition held at Codissia Grounds in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore. The incident occurred on Tuesday night when around 20 visitors, including three children, were stuck on the ride, prompting police and the Fire and Rescue Department to respond. Using a sky lift vehicle, the rescue team worked for roughly 45 minutes to safely bring everyone down. The incident has raised safety concerns, following a similar case in Chennai last year where visitors were left stranded on an amusement ride, highlighting the need for periodic inspections and strict safety checks of such attractions.

The incident occurred on Tuesday night when around 20 visitors, including three children, were stuck on the ride, prompting police and the Fire and Rescue Department to respond.

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With Vijay Laxman Kelkar replacing Montek Singh Ahluwalia as finance secretary, chariot of liberalisation rolls on

With Kelkar replacing Ahluwalia as finance secretary, the chariot of liberalisation rolls on.

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