Early in his first term, when Manmohan Singh was more accessible to the media and more willing to discuss issues with those whose views were different from his, the prime minister outlined what he hoped would be his government’s policy on Pakistan. Read more

On the grounds that there’s not a lot happening this week, I’m going to focus on something that seems slightly obscure and out of the headlines but is actually crucial to the future of India.

If you look at the way the election campaign was conducted, two sets of economic issues kept cropping up again and again. Read more

The first thing that needs to be said about the Cabinet-making exercise is that it took far too long. The results came in on a Saturday and by the following Saturday there still was no government in place. We had to wait a further six days — something like 12 days after Manmohan Singh had been re-elected to know who the new ministers would be. Read more

So, how do you feel about the nuclear deal now? You remember the deal of course? It was supposed to be so stunning and far-reaching in its impact that it would transform India. The world would look at us with new respect. Billions of dollars of fresh investment would flow into our country. Our industries would finally have the energy that they so desperately required. And all negotiations between India and the US would now be conducted according to the terms of the post-deal relationship. Read more

Those sections of the commentariat who urged the government to get into a confrontation with its allies over the nuclear deal had predicted that the popularity of the deal would lift the government’s own standing. India would be so thrilled, we were told, by the sight of a regime that fought bravely for the right to be allowed to buy uranium that the Prime Minister would be hailed as a hero and the government’s own image would be secured.

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