Sukanta Chaudhuri on the state of Indian academia: “Curricula are laid down by the UGC in minute detail. Both the Centre and the state demand endless pounds of procedural flesh — there is no freedom of operation. The licence-permit raj has not fled the land but migrated to academia. Add to this the restrictions on free speech and writing (in the IITs, anything causing “embarrassment” vis-à-vis the government). Only the demented would expect freedom of teaching, research and publication in this degrading milieu. A person cannot queue up with a cap in hand one minute and range the world in one’s thoughts the next. You cannot toggle between being a free and a caged animal.”
Emily B. Finley: “Alexis de Tocqueville predicted that eventually an “immense and tutelary power” would replace genuine popular rule in America. The people would accept their tutelage, he says, because of their belief that they “themselves hold the end of the chain.” The soft despots today will undoubtedly continue to use the democratic lexicon even as they transform the fiber of the republic. What better way to pre-empt the opposition than simply to declare it “a threat to our democracy”?”
Ruchir Sharma: “In periods of gloom like this one, when commentators see nothing but faults in most countries, it is worth highlighting the few that defy the prevailing pessimism. Here are seven that stand out in a world tipping towards recession and higher inflation: Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Greece, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Japan. They share some combination of relatively strong growth, moderate inflation or strong stock market returns — compared with other countries. By fascinating coincidence, most of them also defy deep biases about the supposedly dim prospects of certain countries, cultures and systems.” On India: “Though India’s growth is always flattered by its low base, its economy will continue to be one of the world’s fastest growing. Policymakers have done just enough reform to draw in investors who, spooked by the regulatory crackdowns in China, are now gravitating to the second largest emerging economy. New investment in digital services and manufacturing are bearing fruit and the vast domestic market insulates India from global recession.”
WSJ: “If you read the business pages, it’s been almost impossible to ignore the many articles on the topic of “quiet quitting” in recent months. This buzzy term refers to employees—at least half the U.S. workforce, according to polling—resolving to meet only the bare minimum requirements of their job descriptions. When it comes to giving up, however, Annie Duke has something louder in mind. In “Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away,” the author, consultant and former professional poker player proposes that quitting, the unambiguous kind, ought to be seen as a virtue and honed as a skill integral to both professional and personal success. Instead, it’s often maligned by a culture that valorizes grit and tenacity.”
