March 30, 2007
by Atanu Dey
16 Comments
I think when it comes to education we need to go back to the basics. We have made the system needlessly complex and it has not surprisingly failed. A few years ago, at the university, all of us in the … Continue reading
March 29, 2007
by Atanu Dey
8 Comments
Also Sprach Carl Sagan: “We succeeded in taking that picture [from deep space], and, if you look at it, you see a dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who … Continue reading
March 29, 2007
by Atanu Dey
3 Comments
Here is the slide set I used at ISB on the 9th of March. The background reading material starts off with “Inclusive Economic Growth.”
March 29, 2007
by Atanu Dey
5 Comments
So then the two state-owned Indian airlines are going to merge (according to this rediff report — hat tip: Tejaswi) and the merged entity will be called — umm, let’s see now — “Air Indian,” the title of a blog … Continue reading
March 28, 2007
by Atanu Dey
5 Comments
Two fish were swimming along a stream when they come upon a third fish which remarks, “The water is absolutely fine today.” The two carry on without a reply. Later upstream one of them says to the other, “What the … Continue reading
March 26, 2007
by Atanu Dey
10 Comments
Why support free speech, asked Gaurav in a comment on a previous post here. The short answer is: because we are not infinitely wise, our rationality is bounded; because we are not equally wise; because ideas matter, and because markets … Continue reading
March 25, 2007
by Atanu Dey
29 Comments
The matter of the freedom of speech and expression is not just at the heart of economic growth but also of development. I make no apologies about my unconditional and eternal support of free inquiry, speech, and expression. If the … Continue reading
March 24, 2007
by Atanu Dey
0 comments
Related to my previous post on Fanatics and Development, I think this poem is rather funny.
March 24, 2007
by Atanu Dey
31 Comments
Hopeless ignorant masses need some sort of refuge. In many materially and culturally impoverished parts of that world, religious fanaticism affords that refuge. Monotheistic intolerant faiths such as Christianity and Islam are a necessary but not a sufficient condition for … Continue reading
March 20, 2007
by Atanu Dey
0 comments
Take a look at this video. Damn, the world does have some very clever and creative people. Thanks to the wonder of the world wide web, we get to enjoy stuff from the comfort of our desktops.
March 20, 2007
by Atanu Dey
3 Comments
Brand Blanshard wrote eloquently about American education in his essay “Quantity and Quality in American Education.” The essay was published nearly half a century ago but the message is universal. Thanks to Anthony Flood for making it accessible. It is … Continue reading
March 18, 2007
by Atanu Dey
16 Comments
Economic growth is an imperative if the widely discussed goal of development has to be achieved by India. There are a number of well-known causative factors that lead to economic growth. Among them are an educated and healthy population, reliable … Continue reading
March 15, 2007
by Atanu Dey
7 Comments
Julius Caesar was warned by a soothsayer to “beware the ides of March.” The ides of March is today, the 15th of March. Good ol’ Julius disregarded the warning and on this fateful day in 44 BCE he fell dead, … Continue reading
March 14, 2007
by Atanu Dey
12 Comments
A French journalist, Marianne Enault, is writing a piece for a French newspaper about cricket fever in India and wrote to me requesting help.
March 13, 2007
by Atanu Dey
11 Comments
Where there be challenges, there be opportunities. That is a mantra well-known to every entrepreneur. That immediately implies that India is truly the Land of Unlimited Opportunities. The challenges have been created by a persistent attachment to a certain way … Continue reading
March 13, 2007
by Atanu Dey
3 Comments
Here is a brief video on the Zen Mind — An Introduction. I like Zen Buddhism. It is profoundly simple and direct. The voice-over states clearly at the end of the clip that “… do not differentiate yourself as apart … Continue reading
March 12, 2007
by Atanu Dey
8 Comments
Where is India today? How did it get here? Where should India be going? And how should it get there? These are the big questions that I try to grapple with. And that is how I began my presentation. ISB … Continue reading
March 12, 2007
by Atanu Dey
12 Comments
The business plan was about creating a business which would help the blind become more productive. But the presenter took elaborate pains to avoid the word “blind”and instead constantly referred to the “visually challenged.” I suppose the PC police would … Continue reading
March 7, 2007
by Atanu Dey
7 Comments
The art of economics consists in looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups.
March 6, 2007
by Atanu Dey
6 Comments
“Short, therefore, is man’s life; and narrow is the corner of the earth wherein he dwells.” Marcus Aurelius Antoninus – (121-180) noted that in his Meditations. Here is a picture of how small the earth is whose narrow corner we … Continue reading