Sir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rightly said, the global trust earned by the Indian pharmaceutical companies has led to the nation being called the 'Pharmacy of the World', in recent times, we have shown this spirit to the whole world during the Covid-19 pandemic by exporting the corona vaccine.

India has a large reservoir of highly skilled low cost manpower of scientists and technologists, a well-established Hi-Tech manufacturing base, hence India is all set to play even a bigger role in producing medicines at affordable price to nations that need most, examples are certain poor African countries, thus provide the drug security across geographies.

Traditionally India is known for its culture and empathy, humanity, compassion, which our leaders of the post-independent India have amply displayed to the world as we believe the well-beings of the entire humankind when India supplied Corona vaccine at affordable price to world, but humanity is impacted when people suffer unduly because of the unavailability of medicine.

Historically India is known for its culture and empathy, humanity, compassion, which our leaders of the post independent India have amply displayed to the world as we believe in the well-being of the entire humankind, when India supplied Corona vaccine at affordable price to world, but humanity is impacted when people suffer unduly because of the unavailability of medicine.

During second wave of Corona, when world was struggling how to content, Indian pharmaceutical Industry became world saviour by timely producing a low cost highly effective vaccine, India exported 65 million doses of vaccine and other life saving medicines to 100 countries.

In recent times, the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry has definitely earned global trust by producing high-quality, low-cost medicines, which has led to the nation being called the 'Pharmacy of the World'.

Ramesh G jethwani is a Veteran writer, Voracious reader, Historian and Commentator who has been writing in 21 newspapers in India and GCC countries for several decades on various subjects of importance.
His website www: rameshjethwani.com.

Sir, Fifty years after the last Arab Israel war (1973), again on 7th October 2023, Hamas the prime Palestine militant group launched a surprise, daring and deadly target attack with barrages of rockets and its fighters into Israel, leaving devastating trail of death and destruction.

This latest Arab-Israeli conflict, characterized by decades of violence, territorial disputes and political tensions, continues to pose a significant threat to regional stability and global peace, which is bound to impact global economy badly, the surprise 1973 Arab-Israeli war, called Yom Kippur war (Ramadan war, Oct, 06- 25 1973) which had reset the equation in the Middle east forever when after oil embargo, the Crude oil prices had skyrocketed nearly 300% from US $3 per barrel to nearly US $12 per barrel globally, this sudden increase in oil import bill of most nations led to world economies into shatters.

There is a bigger threat to the global economy due to the drone attacks by Iranian-backed Yemen's Houthi militants on the shipping vessels crossing Red sea-suez canals route, which has already badly disrupted global maritime trade, it has prompting the re-routing of the hundreds of large cargo-ships via southern tip of Africa to escape drone and missile attack by Houtis in the Red sea area, a much longer route adding another 10-14 days of voyage, adding extra cost and delays potentially affecting global trade and contributing to inflation.

Hence the Israel-Hamas conflict desperately calls for world powers to bring truce at the earliest, efforts to find diplomat solutions the conflict must be continued at ward efforts to end this war, if the oil prices increases and ships take longer routes it will badly affect most global economies and its ramification will be seen in days to come in all sectors of economy, today crude oil- prices are hovering around 85 dollars today.

Ramesh G jethwani is a Veteran writer, Voracious reader, Historian and Commentator who has been writing in 21 newspapers in India and GCC countries for several decades on various subjects of importance.
His website www: rameshjethwani.com.

Sir, The US move to end the exemptions granted to India, China and six other countries for importing Iran oil after May 2, will only serve the interests of the US and Saudi Arabia. It is a tactical move by the US to push Iran to change its policies.

India and other countries affected by the sanctions should jointly put pressure on the US to ensure adequate oil supplies, failing which the sanctions should be lifted.

2) Oil Wars,
Deccan Chronicle, 26th April 2019, L.E.

Sir, The US move to end the exemptions granted to India, China and six other countries from ban on import of Iranian crude oil by May will only serve the interest of US and Saudi Arabia,

India has to find alternative oil suppliers and deal with volatile international crude prices which will effect the domestic cooking gas and transport sector too,

We should mount pressure on us to adequate Oil supplies to counties effected by Iran sanctions, failing which the embargo of Iranian crude oil should be lifted.

The Indian rupee, after remaining stable for quite some time, has been relentlessly sliding against the US dollar. This is likely to fuel inflation which will adversely affect the Indian economy. The Indian currency has already touched the Rs67 to a dollar mark. Economists fear it might weaken further. Though the RBI has intervened to prevent a further slide amid a widening trade gap and runaway import bills fuelled by high crude-oil prices, it cannot continue such measures for long.

The Rupee slide will affect critical sectors like power and manufacturing and ultimately the burden will fall on the common man. Countries like India which are dependent on oil imports will be hit further as the price of crude oil rises.

Government intervention is the need of the hour. The country should work towards increasing oil production and boosting green energy like solar power and electric vehicles.

(2) Rupee Slides again.
The Statesman, 13th may 2018, L.E.

Sir, Indian rupees after remaining stable against dollar for some time is sliding once again, this is likely to fuel inflation, The Indian rupee is already moved to Rs 67/ against dollar making a 15th month low.

Economics fear that rupee might further weaken and plunge to Rs 70/ for a dollar in near future. It will be pertinent to recall that Rupee was at par with American Dollar at the time of India's independence.

At the movement India boasts of significant foreign exchange reserves, though Reserve bank of India has intervened in the currency market, to prevent further slide, given a widening trade gap and runaway fueled by high crude prices, it can't continue to provide dollars long, otherwise its foreign exchange reserve will dwindle resulting in increase of crude price, this will exert pressure on Indian fiscal and current account deficient.

The slide in value of Rupee is bound to effect critical sector and those Indian companies who have borrowed loan from external sources, ultimately it is consumer who will have to face music,However declining Rupee will help NRI's who remits money,

Sir, Recent major decisions taken by NDA Governmnet led by PM Modi like, new civil aviation policy, merger of SBI banks subsidiaries and now with renewed hope of smooth passing of Goods and Services Tax (GST), clearly shows that important decisions are being taken by government for benefit of country's economy.

There is renewed hope in the country that this path-breaking tax reform GST bill will soon see the light of the day, from the next financial year from april 2017.

It is hoped that with the smooth passage of this landmark bill, which will facilitate the smooth movement of goods across the country. GST bill can be called as the biggest tax reforms post independent India which will integrate the country into one common market with introduction of uniform set of tax regime/single tax regime.

today there is big barrier to the trade between states and the centre, another highlight of this Bill (GST) is that it will overhaul of indirect tax regime in the country, with the incorporating all indirect taxes that includes excise VAT, service tax and octroi,

As most of the state governments across party lines have agreed to implement of GST except Tamil Nadu governmnet which is citing the reason of revenue loss, it is hoped that it will also come on the table once advantages of this bill are known.

Dear Sir,
The rupee’s relentless slide against the US dollar is likely to fuel massive inflationary pressures on India’s economy. The Indian rupee, which was on par with the American currency at the time of the country’s independence in 1947, is now around 65.70 against the dollar.

This steep depreciation will have substantial impact on critical sectors in India, derailing the overall growth. India imports 70% of its petroleum products by paying in US dollars. A depreciation of one rupee will add around Rs8bn to the under-recovery (revenue loss) of oil marketing companies, increasing the country’s current deficit.

The power industry will be worst hit by the rupee’s slide, swelling the import cost of power-generating equipment. Ultimately the end-consumers will have to bear the burnt.

Car manufacturers in India are not 100% self-reliant and many key spare parts are being imported. They will be expensive now.

Indian companies which have taken external loans will be hit hard by the rupee volatility. In short-term, the falling rupee will benefit non-resident Indians when remitting money home. But the rising living costs in India will cancel out their gains in the long run.

Sir, The government has not paid much attention towards the simplification of service tax. We already have to pay a very high income-tax besides education cess and health cess. Then we have to pay percent service tax, which is able on most sectors of the economic means his is leading to an increase in the cost of business operations and the exemption limit of Rs 8 lakhs is not helping in the growth of small entrepreneurs. Hence this exemption limit should be raised to a minimum of Rs 25 lakhs. With two-tier service tax slabs of 5 percent for Rs 25 lakhs and a maximum of 10 percent and above Rs 50 lakhs.

This will definitely help in curtailing inflation in the country and will give rise to new entrepreneurship. Government has given special tax concessions to large SEZs, but not to the small entrepreneurs.

Please simplify service tax. The exemption limit of Rs 8 lakh should be raised, with two slabs – 5% for above Rs 25 lakh and 10% above Rs 50 lakh. If SEZs can get tax relief, so should we.

Sir — This refers to the news report, “SC’s SIT bares Govt sloppiness” (July 5). Given how the Government has been dragging its feet regarding the issue of black money, the Supreme Court’s decision to form a high-level Special Investigation Team to probe into the matter serves as timely intervention and is a much welcome initiative.

The landmark order, which comes after eminent citizens like senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani, former IPS officer KPS Gill, Chief Election Commissioner JM Lyndog filed a PIL requesting the apex court to take necessary steps to ensure that the Government brings back the large amounts of black money stashed away in tax-havens abroad, is also a sign of a huge trust deficit.

Yet, there is no reason why the Congress-led UPA regime cannot make the court’s intervention initiative work to its advantage. It could start with putting in place a mechanism that will effectively prevent individuals from amassing wealth illegitimately. Additionally, the Government must also take immediate steps to stop the movement of black money across the border.

Of course, much of this sounds particularly simplistic and I am well aware that things of this nature are easier said than done. But that should not be an excuse to do absolutely nothing. After all, the gargantuan amount of wealth stashed in foreign banks is national wealth that should be used for the betterment of the country. Hence, it must be retrieved at the earliest.

The prices of essential commodities have gone beyond the reaches of the common man. How is the common in to man going to get any nutrition when pulses, grams and vegetables are so highly priced? It's high time the government took measures to control prices.

It is essential to check the hoarding of commodities, which could be one reason for the price rise. It's very unfortunate that our country is contemplating sending a man to space and is rejoicing about the rise in our GDP, but the poor still die of hunger.

The Finance Minister P Chidambaram had announced in this year’s budget that women and men living abroad can bring gold worth Rs.1,00,000 and Rs.50,000 respectively. The move is welcome but is too little and half hearted, with gold costing about Rs.3,000 per gram. The allowance should be enhanced to Rs.3,00,000 for women and Rs.1,50,000 for men, for practical purposes.

Increasing this allowance will prevent corruption and harassment of Indians returning from abroad, as NRIs have contributed significantly to the Indian economy.

Sir, The Prime Minister should take personal interest regarding the recent recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. The massive hike in rentals, reduction of free local from five minutes to three minutes as recommended by Trai will be a great burden on common man, pensioners, small businessmen, etc, if they are accepted in toto.

IT appears that the proposed steep hike in telecom rental rates is suggested to compensate for planned reduction in STD\ISD charges which will only help the rich, big business houses, bulk users and NRIs.

If the recommendations are accepted, the common man will get an impression that the government is not responsive to his needs and is running away from its social obligation. Today, telephone has become a necessity rather than a luxury.

Therefore, the Prime Minister should take personal interest in this matter and ensure reasonable telecom rates.

Sir, In a large country like India the majority of population especialy weaker sections, depend on postal services for communication. Despite liberalisation this sector has not attracted foreign investment as the returns on investment would be low. This makes it an obligation on the part of the government to improve postal services. The new government should take immediate steps to open 'tore post offices in new areas as most cities have grown in size. Post offices should encourage big users like business establishments, government departments and corporates to use modern gadgets like franking machines and post boxes.

Popularisation of the post box facility will ease burden on the postman whose services can be used to improve facilities in residential areas. The government should also reduce the Cost of money order and increase the amounts that can be despatched. Post offices should introduce more savings schemes which can improve earnings of the This will help ease pressure on banks.

It is not the killer roads alone where road safety is compromised, Even global giant automakers, who have set up large car manufacturing plants in India, continue to sell vehicles that hardly meet global standards regarding inbuilt safety features. These features are provided as optional so that the price of the vehicle can be reduced and used to lure customers. Unfortunately, even the customers don't give a thought to safety. Deadly road accidents have become common on Indian roads which are often caused by poor road infrastructure, aging vehicles, lax process followed in issuing driving licences, over-loading, reckless and drunken driving, and the use of mobile phones while driving. Such is the case that we find even two-wheeler drivers talking on the mobile while driving. Lack of measures to strictly enforce road safety rules has made our country home to 10 to 15 per cent of road accidents worldwide, even though India has only one per cent of the global vehicle population.

Medical health insurance is a great boon to a public, yet it has not reached the common man, especially the poor. A large number of private players have entered the medical insurance sector, but unfortunately, most of their products are made for large corporates with hardly any uniformity in their policies. Some :insurers give maternity benefits to those availing of corporate group policies but not to individual policy holders.

Also, most insurers provide third party settlements, but if one is unfortunate enough to be admitted at night, hospitals demand that you pay up-front first, which defeats; the purpose of the third party structure.

The insurance industry, must weed out such unfair and inefficient practices.