EDITORIALS FROM 26th Sep 2025
EDITORIAL 01
Is the American Dream dead for Indians?
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EDITORIAL 02
Eight States with international borders, 0.13% of exports
Issue: In August 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Indian imports, citing trade deficits and Russian crude purchases. India responded with its usual measured diplomacy.
However, the tariffs expose not just bilateral tensions but India’s internal fault lines of spatial trade imbalance, long ignored by New Delhi.
Centralisation of Exports
- Four States — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka — account for 70% of India’s exports (Gujarat alone >33%).
- U.P., Bihar, M.P. — with huge populations — contribute barely 5%, reflecting decades of uneven incentives and infrastructure.
- The northeast (8 States, 5,400 km borders) contributes just 13% — lacking corridors, logistics, or representation in trade policymaking bodies.
The Northeast’s Marginalisation
- No corridors: Zokhawthar (Mizoram) & Moreh (Manipur) reduced to security checkpoints after Myanmar’s 2021 coup and end of Free Movement Regime (2024).
- Policy neglect: DGFT’s 2024 export plan (87 pages) omitted the northeast; no voice in Board of Trade or PM’s Economic Advisory Council.
- Economic fallout:
- Tea economy (Assam, >50% of India’s output) facing crisis from tariffs, stagnant prices, job cuts.
- Numaligarh Refinery expansion dependent on Russian crude, vulnerable to U.S. sanctions.
Strategic Gaps & Global Context
- India’s Act East Policy remains rhetoric — highways vanish into chokepoints, warehouses & cold chains missing.
- China expands influence in northern Myanmar with infrastructure and militias, while India’s northeast stays militarised but disconnected.
- Over-concentration: floods in Gujarat or strikes in Tamil Nadu risk choking national exports. This reflects dependence, not resilience.
Trump’s tariffs are a trigger, but the real issue lies in India’s lopsided export geography.
For genuine trade resilience, India must integrate the northeast and hinterland into its economic map through roads, logistics, and inclusive policy design.
Without dispersion, India’s regional and global ambitions risk resting on a fragile coastal backbone.
EDITORIAL 03
On Ladakh, Centre must act with empathy, resolve and imagination
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EDITORIAL 04
Irregularities at National Skill Development Corporation must be addressed urgently
Issue: India’s demographic dividend depends on creating a skilled workforce. The recent allegations of misappropriation at NSDC and its weak governance raise serious concerns about the institutional backbone of the country’s skilling ecosystem.
Concerns with NSDC Functioning:
- Governance Issues: FIRs filed against training partners for tampering records and poor accountability; CAG (2015) flagged weak oversight at NSDC/NSDF.
- Quality Concerns: Training quality often questioned; placements remain low despite certifications.
- Leadership Crisis: Firing of CEO and corruption complaints highlight institutional fragility.
- Track Record: Against a target of 150 million, outcomes remain unimpressive.
Government Initiatives:
- PMKVY & STAR Schemes: Together certified 1.13 crore candidates, but only 24.4 lakh placed (till Mar 2024).
- Funding Support: ₹10,570 crore released under PMKVY (till 2024).
- Recognition of skills as critical for achieving Viksit Bharat @2047.
What needs to be done?
- Strengthen Accountability: Independent audits, stricter monitoring of partners.
- Focus on Quality: Shift from numbers to employability and industry linkages.
- Institutional Reform: Redesign NSDC governance to ensure transparency and professionalism.
- Demand-driven Skilling: Align training with industry needs, future technologies, and regional demands.
The skill mission is too vital to be derailed by weak governance. Revitalising NSDC with transparency, quality focus, and strong monitoring is essential for converting India’s demographic potential into an economic powerhouse.