Ramchander Rao: 'To Insult Vande Mataram Is Patriotism?'

Arvind Subramanian Exclusive: On India’s Data Credibility, Trust Deficit & Economic Ground RealityIn an exclusive interview with Rajdeep Sardesai, former Chief Economic Advisor Dr. Arvind Subramanian analyzes the debate surrounding India's first quarter 7.8% GDP growth numbers. Addressing criticisms raised by former finance secretary Subhash Garg, Subramanian argued that while the government may be technically directionally right on some indicators, it faces a deeper systemic challenge. He said, "The elephant in the room is that the government has a huge trust deficit." Subramanian highlighted past discrepancies in economic data, COVID mortality statistics, and delayed census figures, stating that the burden of proof now rests entirely on the government. He emphasized that genuine economic growth should align with ground realities such as employment generation, wage growth, and private investment. To rebuild credibility, he urged the Ministry of Statistics to release complete methodological details and acknowledge past overestimations.