Urban women don’t breastfeed for fear of losing figure: MP guv
Madhya Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel on Wednesday said that women in urban areas do not breastfeed their children as they fear it will spoil their figure. “Even today, women in cities believe that it (breastfeeding) will spoil their figure, which is why they do not breastfeed their children. They start bottle feeding their children,” Patel said during a programme at an anganwadi centre in Kashipuri here.
The announcement that Arvind Subramanian, India’s Chief Economic Advisor (CEA), is quitting for personal reasons to return to the United States has generated considerable attention. The CEA spoke to Prashant Jha about his time in government and the state of the economy:
As you look back, what are the key highlights and the big regret you have from your tenure?
There were some major highlights: the constitutional amendment on the GST (Goods and Services Tax), the early diagnosis of the twin balance sheet issue; pushing the ideas of stigmatised capitalism, carbon imperialism, universal basic income, bad banks and more. But I think presenting economic surveys and elevating the content, presentation and articulation of economic policy making would rank high.
My regret is that there were lots of demands from states to replicate the office of the CEA. Four-five chief ministers had spoken to me about it and were keen. We were not able to do it.
Do you think the economy is in a better or a worse shape compared to when you arrived?
We did lots of reforms. But the global economic environment is a lot less favourable than it was when I first came in. That means we have to work hard to achieve the target of double-digit growth.
Some experts cite demonetisation as the one big economic mistake the government committed during your tenure. Was it?
That’s something I will let others answer. I would not like to comment on it.
What is the biggest thing India needs to do on the economic policy front, and one thing it must avoid?
I think we need to crack the twin balance sheet problem. A lot of work has been done. But a lot of work needs to be done to overcome the problems emerging from stigmatised capitalism, and addressing the structural issues
INDORE:
in the banking sector.
What we must avoid is risking the hard-earned macroeconomic stability.
You have been an academic all your life. What excited you the most about being in government and what frustrated you?
I was excited all the time, 24x7 whether it was the big policy