Articles

NK Singh said India’s appeal to global investors hinges on fiscal discipline across the “general government” — the Centre and states together — arguing that cooperative federalism, combined with competitiveness-driven growth, is essential to sustaining the economy’s long-term momentum.

Singh stressed on the need for continued belief in the synchronisation of stable macroeconomic policy with monetary and fiscal policies acting in tandem

Jayasankar Krishnamurty, born on January 7, 1941, in New Delhi, to Parvati and S Jayasankar, passed away on December 5, 2025. He was an eminent academic and international civil servant who worked for decades on employment, labour and demography, with a distinguished academic career, completing his BA (Hons) in Economics from St Stephen’s College, his MA from the Delhi School of Economics, and his PhD from the University of Delhi. A defining milestone was his selection as Agatha Harrison Fellow at St Antony’s College, Oxford, which left a deep imprint on his intellectual journey. These academic embellishments are daunting. But for me, he was my closest friend. My friendship with him is a journey I must recount.

As a bureaucrat, N K Singh had an eventful innings that saw him serve as secretary to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. After retiring, the 1964-batch IAS officer jumped into politics, serving as a Rajya Sabha MP from the Janata Dal (United) 2008 onwards before joining the BJP in 2014. Singh chaired the 15th Finance Commission. In an interview, Singh discusses the challenges and potential of the Bihar economy, areas of unexplored growth, high tourism potential, freebies, unemployment, and migration. Excerpts:

N K Singh is a retired IAS officer who became a Rajya Sabha MP from the JDU, then joined the BJP in 2014 and went on to chair the 15th Finance Commission from 2017-2020.

In a recent report from its Development Committee, the World Bank outlined the global challenge of job creation, particularly in the developing world. Noting that 1.2 billion young people will reach working age in developing countries, the report said these economies may not be able to generate enough jobs for even 300 million.