Fundamatics

Author: Vivek Joshi

  • Limitations in scaling-up Ayurveda

    Limitations in scaling-up Ayurveda

    Photograph by Katherine Hanlon

    Yoga started in India, was exported to the West, became wildly popular there, and is now seeing a resurgence in interest in India.  Ayurveda, on the other hand, has not become anywhere near as widely accepted in the West as yoga has.  Passion, patriotism and antipathy to big pharma make an objective discussion on alternative remedies like Ayurveda somewhat difficult. What is tougher still is focussing the discussion on “genuine” Ayurveda and ignoring the myriad products that simply claim to be Ayurvedic. (more…)

  • Demonetisation: The Bigger Picture

    Demonetisation: The Bigger Picture

    In a move which took the country by surprise, the government demonetised currency notes of denominations Rs.500 and Rs. 1000 with immediate effect from the midnight of Nov 8, 2016. This step has been variously praised and pilloried. Politicians took predictable stands and economists are divided on its merits. Parliament was paralysed and the media hyperventilated extensively on it.

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  • Syria: What the Forest Tells Us

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    Image source: unsplash.com

    The situation in Syria is very complex and difficult to comprehend. An analysis of the country, region and global factors (beyond usual suspects of oil and arms industry) could help in drawing some lessons. For this, it would be useful to step back from the trees and observe the bigger picture of the forest. The resulting analysis is not prescriptive or critical, and given the complexities of the subject, no analysis can be comprehensive. (more…)