The National Highways Development Project is an infrastructure project to upgrade, rehabilitate and widen major highways in India. The project was implemented in 1998. Managed by the National Highways Authority of India under the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways. Here is the project in detail. Continue reading →

In 1977, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as Minister of External Affairs,  became the first person to deliver a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in Hindi. He calls it  the most unforgettable moment in his life.

Gone are the days when finance ministers used to seal their mouths weeks before the Budget. They would stop attending public meetings or making any pronouncement at least for two months preceding the Budget, lest they dropped a hint at the kind of fiscal policy change that might be in the offing.

Now finance ministers talk relatively freely about the nature of the fiscal policy change that might be announced. And the reason is that by making such statements, the finance minister does not reveal any Budget secrets. The broad contours of the fiscal policy changes are well-known in any case. Continue reading →

Jawaharlal Nehru was a passionate advocate of education for India’s children and youth, believing it essential for India’s future progress. His government oversaw the establishment of many institutions of higher learning, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institutes of Management. Nehru also outlined a commitment in his five-year plans to guarantee free and compulsory primary education to all of India’s children. For this purpose, Nehru oversaw the creation of mass village enrollment programmes and the construction of thousands of schools. Nehru also launched initiatives such as the provision of free milk and meals to children in order to fight malnutrition. Adult education centres, vocational and technical schools were also organised for adults, especially in the rural areas.