The Bihar election quietly highlighted something much bigger than an electoral result: the growing power of Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs). 1.5 crore women received ₹10,000 directly. We can argue about the politics, but the economic impact is worth paying attention to. 1. From Leakage to Delivery For decades, public money leaked through layers of departments and intermediaries. With DBTs, a rupee sent is finally a rupee received. No middlemen. No delays. No “come tomorrow.” That … [Read more...] about Why Cash Transfers Work: Lessons from Bihar and Beyond
Social
When Everyone’s Responsible, No One Is: The Hidden Cost of Diffused Ownership
I came across this striking experiment by social psychologist Bibb Latané. Participants were placed in separate booths and asked to cheer as loudly as possible. In some cases, they were told they were shouting alone; in others, that their shouts would be combined with others in a group. In truth, they were always shouting alone. But when they believed they were part of a group, their effort dropped. When they thought their individual voice would be heard and measured, they shouted … [Read more...] about When Everyone’s Responsible, No One Is: The Hidden Cost of Diffused Ownership
How to Discover Your True Calling?
Going Beyond Ikigai – Deciphering what you love doing and what you are good at Most of you would have heard about Ikigai. Ikigai is the Japanese concept that represents the intersection of four key elements: 1. What you are good at 2. What you love doing 3. What the world needs & 4. What it will pay you for It is the balance between aptitude, passion, societal value and market value, offering a sense of purpose and fulfilment in life. Two aspects of Ikigai — identifying what the world … [Read more...] about How to Discover Your True Calling?
How Pope Francis brought a groundbreaking shift in the Catholic Church?
From the moment he chose the name “Francis,” it was clear that this pope would be different. His inspiration was St. Francis of Assisi— a truly noble 13th-century saint, who is often seen as the first ecological thinker who underscored the need to live in harmony with our environment. Pope Francis carried forward that spirit, emerging as a firm advocate for the climate agenda. He supported the scientific consensus on global warming and emphasized that all action on the environment should be … [Read more...] about How Pope Francis brought a groundbreaking shift in the Catholic Church?
ME(C)5E: Going Beyond McKinsey’s MECE
Originally Published in Forbes McKinsey's MECE (Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive) Framework has been used for structured thinking & communication by leading consultants, marketing professionals, journalists and other peer groups for five decades. The concept of MECE was brought into the world by Barbara Minto, who worked at McKinsey in the 1960s and 1970s. She was the first female MBA that McKinsey hired. (Thanks to the popularity of MECE alone, she has proved to be … [Read more...] about ME(C)5E: Going Beyond McKinsey’s MECE
Five Wishes From The PM This Republic Day
Here is my take on the top five areas PM Narendra Modi could focus on - The last I wrote of my expectations from the PM was for his Independence Day speech. Some of the wishes I put forth must have been on his agenda as well, as I see some spur on these. Thought I must come up with the next set of asks from my PM on 69th Republic Day of India. So, for his consideration, here is my take on the top five areas he could focus on: 1. Avoid drastic interventions in Business - Factor in … [Read more...] about Five Wishes From The PM This Republic Day