Letters to The EDITOR: India’s remarkable economic resilience

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India’s remarkable economic resilience

When the global economic sky is clouded with geopolitical tempests, India’s economy has not merely weathered the storm—it has emerged as a formidable economic bulwark. I wish to draw attention to the recent report highlighting India’s impressive 7.8 per cent GDP growth in the first quarter of FY 2026–27.The latest figures are nothing short of prodigious. Although growth moderated from a spectacular 8.6 per cent in the preceding quarter, it substantially surpassed the Reserve Bank of India’s projection of 7 per cent. The performance is particularly noteworthy because the quarter coincided with the disruptive repercussions of the Iran conflict, volatile energy markets, inflationary pressures and fragile global demand. The real GDP expanded from Rs 75.46 lakh crore in Q1 of 2025–26 to Rs 81.36 lakh crore in the corresponding quarter of 2026–27. Nominal GDP also registered a robust 10.3 per cent growth. These statistics underscore the underlying dynamism of domestic consumption, investment and economic activity. However, policymakers must remain vigilant and proactive. External vulnerabilities, commodity-price volatility, and geopolitical uncertainties could still disrupt progress. The government should therefore shore up manufacturing, infrastructure, employment generation and exports while maintaining macroeconomic stability. India has clearly demonstrated that adversity can be a springboard rather than a stumbling block. Judicious policymaking, institutional sagacity, and sustained reform are now essential to transform this momentum into broad-based prosperity.

Dipen Gogoi,

Teok, Jorhat

Climate change

and helping hands

Nepal continues to draw the attention of the subcontinent and much of the world today. The death toll from the glacier collapse that devastated Nepal continues to climb past the 900 mark. It has been breached even as thousands remain missing. According to the relevant data, glaciers cover 48,000 square kilometres in the Himalayas, which include 5,000 glacial lakes. Experts believe that 500 of these glacial lakes pose a hazard. Their risk has been aggravated by the corresponding rise in climate change-induced glacial loss. Significantly, India has suffered the highest number of deaths from glacial floods, which is the trigger of the Nepal tragedy. It ranks third among the eight nations in the Hindukush-Himalayan region when it comes to suffering deluges of this kind. Apart from the changing climate, other factors include faulty development models in higher altitudes, along with reckless tourism and wilful degradation of local ecologies, which can no longer be treated as isolated events. They form a part of a long crippling chain of destruction as the Himalayas enter an unstable phase. The need is for transnational cooperation among afflicted nation-states. It has become indispensable to establish a shared network to facilitate real-time monitoring of risky glaciers, unstable rivers, valleys and suchlike. The installation of early warning systems and the collation and sharing of data, as well as joint scientific expeditions, must be part of the deterrence plan. But a question arises whether transboundary cooperation is possible under geostrategic impulses, which continues to pose the most significant challenge today. 

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati

Man-made disaster

It's frequently discussed that hill cutting, illegal mining and deforestation are the prime causes of the devastating flood faced by the people every year, but this time the sufferings of the flood-affected people are beyond imagination, for it has been presumed to be a man-made disaster. We support development, but it should not occur at the expense of nature, which has unfortunately validated our concerns. In metro cities, people have worsened their own situation through uncivil actions, such as disposing of garbage in drains, which leads to blocked drains and artificial floods—an all too common occurrence in our daily lives. Moreover, the buildings erected without maintaining proper plans and programmes are also fuelling the flood fury, and the concerned authorities must enforce rules and regulations in this regard so that the residents may free themselves from artificial floods. In rural areas, strict guidelines must also be enforced for the construction of people-friendly bridges and embankments, and the unholy nexus between contractors and officials must be resisted. As such, we fervently appeal to the government to pay heed to the demands of the affected people for facilitating a flood-free and disaster-free golden Assam.

Benudhar Das

Galiahati-No.2, Barpeta

Rising medicine prices 

For an ordinary family, falling ill is not only a health problem but also a financial burden. When a doctor prescribes several medicines, the cost of treatment can become difficult to manage. The situation is especially painful for elderly people and patients who need medicines regularly for chronic illnesses. Many poor patients are sometimes forced to buy fewer medicines than prescribed or postpone treatment because they cannot afford the cost. Medicines are a basic necessity, not a luxury. The government and concerned authorities should therefore take effective measures to keep essential medicines affordable and ensure their availability. The public should also have greater access to quality generic medicines.

No person should have to choose between buying essential medicines and putting food on the table. The rising cost of medicines deserves urgent attention in the interest of the common people.

Heramba Nath,

Hindumaizali, Kamrup