Why People Leave Equal Bihar For Unequal Mumbai
Neeraj Kaushal
Aug 5, 2025, 20:19 IST IST
Starting poor in life is alright if there's equality of opportunity and a chance to strike it rich
The computer science principle 'garbage in, garbage out' – gigo – also applies to the ongoing debate on inequality in India . To decide whether India is among the world's most equal societies or the most unequal, the focus is on income and consumption. While economist Thomas Piketty counts India among the most unequal economies in terms of income distribution, World Bank calculations – the source of recent newspaper punditry – place India as the fourth most, and by some interpretations the top most, equal society in consumption.
Critics see serious problems in the data that Piketty has used. They also see serious problems in India's consumption survey data that World Bank has used. The Bank's tables on Gini coefficients are based on consumption for some countries and income for others, which is another source of criticism and confusion. Critics on both sides claim the other side has a gigo problem, and the debate continues.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Blue Flag project to be expanded to three more Chennai beach stretches
Chennai's three beaches — Thiruvanmiyur, Palavakkam and Uthandi — are expected to be developed under the Blue Flag certification programme. Further, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is set to begin work on the second phase of the Marina Beach Blue Flag project — from the Mahatma Gandhi Statue to Nochi Nagar, opposite the Karaneeswarar Koil Street. After the inauguration of the Blue Flag project at Marina Beach by the Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday, Mayor R. Priya said a total of 30 acres along Loop Road had been planned for the next stage. She further said the Detailed Project Report was being prepared for these sites, and the tender would be finalised soon. The works, estimated to cost over ₹6 crore for each beach, will be funded under the Tamil Nadu: Strengthening Coastal Resilience and the Economy Project, supported by the World Bank. The plan includes new toilets and changing rooms, wheelchair-accessible paths, solar lighting, waste bins, lifeguard stations and grey water treatment systems. Seating areas and Blue Flag programme-compliant signboards will also be installed. Dedicated access for persons with disabilities will be created, according to the GCC. 'A total ₹6.02 crore has been allocated for each beach. The works will take seven months to complete, and the beaches will then be maintained for another year under the same contract by the private party engaged,' an official said. There was no mention of shops in the proposals for any of the four Blue Flag projects. To this, the Mayor said the decision to remove shops in the first phase at Marina Beach received good response from the public. 'This is also crucial to keep the beach clean — a critical criterion for Blue Flag certification. A complex can be set up for authorised vendors, and illegal shopkeepers will be evicted as per GCC regulations,' she said.
India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
DNA Analysis
From consumer goods to the pharmaceutical sector, every assessment indicates that Trump's excessive tariffs on India will ultimately harm the United States. However, Trump remains firm on increasing tariffs. The reason is clear: for Trump, these tariffs are not just an economic issue but a weapon for blackmailing. The first target of this strategy is Russian oil, and the second is the BRICS alliance standing against America. One member of BRICS today gave Trump a tough message—Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In today's DNA, we analysed the strong defiance shown by BRICS members, particularly Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who openly rejected any negotiations with Trump and characterized his approach as mere intimidation rather than dialogue. #DNAWithRahulSinha #DNA #DonaldTrump… — Zee News (@ZeeNews) August 6, 2025 In a speech, Brazil's president said, 'I will talk to Xi Jinping, I will send an invitation to India's Prime Minister Modi, and if Putin were able to travel, I would invite him too. But I will not talk to Trump because he does not want to talk—he only wants to threaten.' Why did Brazil's president use such strong words against Trump? The reason lies in the harsh tariffs Trump has imposed on BRICS members. Russian oil is merely an excuse; Trump's real goal is to weaken the BRICS group to maintain Western dominance in the world. To understand why Trump harbors such animosity towards the BRICS coalition, one must look closely at the key decisions made at the last BRICS summit. At the summit held in Brazil, the first decision was that BRICS members will conduct trade in their own currencies in the future, which directly threatens the influence of the US dollar over a large part of the world. The members also agreed to establish a BRICS Bank similar to the World Bank. If such a financial institution comes into existence, it will reduce the importance of Western-backed institutions like the World Bank. Additionally, BRICS members decided to increase strategic cooperation to combat terrorism and terror-supporting countries. Should this happen, a significant part of Asia and Africa could pose an organized strategic challenge to the United States and its Western allies. For these reasons, Trump is determined to force BRICS members to bend and create divisions within the alliance. While tariff threats have made 34 countries yield, Trump has been unable to make BRICS's key members—India, China, Russia, and Brazil—budge at all.
Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
Axis Bank allots 1.88 lakh equity shares under ESOP
Axis Bank has allotted 1,88,445 equity shares of Rs. 2/- each of the Bank on 06 August 2025, pursuant to exercise of stock options / units under its ESOP / RSU Scheme. The paid-up share capital of the Bank has accordingly increased from Rs. 6,203,829,182 (3,101,914,591 equity shares of Rs. 2/- each) to Rs. 6,204,206,072 (3,102,103,036 equity shares of Rs. 2/- each).Powered by Capital Market - Live News
