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Sanjeev Chopra

Sanjeev Chopra

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Will restricting land sales protect Uttarakhand farmers? It can trap them

While the new law prioritises land conservation and local interests, it may slow down economic growth and investment.

05.03.2025 20

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

Insiders, outsiders, and land—Uttarakhand closes off while J&K opens up

What constitutes ‘land,’ who is an ‘outsider,’ and who can grant exemptions have long been contested. These questions have played out in many...

04.03.2025 10

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

Harley-Davidson shows India needs Tariff Commission. PMO is calling the shots now

India needs a transparent, institutional mechanism to look at both the short and long-term implications of tariffs. A nation must also protect...

18.02.2025 8

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

RSS, power politics, and the Deep State—transparency is the only antidote

When any political executive has to choose between loyalty and competence, the former takes priority. And I say this with authority, having worked...

05.02.2025 10

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

Deep State is the convenient boogeyman of modern politics. It’s entered India too

Sometimes, those who claim to be part of the deep state ascribe to themselves a larger-than-life role in state affairs—for example, AS Dulat and...

04.02.2025 8

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

Uttarakhand UCC regulating live-in relationships has a positive side too

With regard to divorce, the UCC brings in provisions that penalise extrajudicial divorce modes—including talaq-us-sunnat, talaq-i-biddat, khula,...

22.01.2025 10

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

UCC was debated more in the Constituent Assembly than in Uttarakhand. Why it’s a problem

Contrary to popular perception, Uttarakhand will not be the first, but the second state in the country with a UCC.

21.01.2025 10

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

MSP isn’t the real issue. Indian farming has changed, so should protests

The Jagjit Singh Dallewal-led agitation for ‘legal MSP’ is a pale shadow of the 2020-21 movement against new farm laws. MSP may not be as salient...

07.01.2025 10

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

Congress & BJP rejected Ambedkar once, idolise him now. He never wanted blind worship

Amid the ongoing ideological slugfest, I strongly recommend reading Ambedkar in his own words. For his acolytes, it is important to remember...

24.12.2024 5

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

What caused potato crisis this year—and why Bengal’s ban hurts farmers, cold chain operators

West Bengal invoked the Essential Commodities Act to impose restrictions on potato's storage, trade, and transport. It pits consumers in Kolkata...

10.12.2024 2

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

Dear Narayana Murthy, LBSNAA & UPSC are doing a fine job. They don’t need corporates

Murthy has a point. Govt can cut costs by hiring gig workers with attendant benefits. The question is, can we outsource elections, census, and...

26.11.2024 30

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

Modi-Xi handshake boosted ‘5 Ds’ in Eastern Ladakh. The biggest D is the toughest

‘Demarcation’ would require political sagacity on both sides, and a situation where India and China see each other as partners rather than...

12.11.2024 2

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

How Sardar Patel saved civil services from double jeopardy—British and Congress

On Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary, India’s youngest civil servants will pledge their commitment to constitutional values at the Statue of Unity....

29.10.2024 10

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

Revolutionising India’s food security: Route optimisation cuts costs, carbon emissions

With over 81 crore beneficiaries, the Govt is now leveraging advanced data-driven route optimisation tools as part of the PM GatiShakti master plan...

22.10.2024 3

The Pioneer

Sanjeev Chopra

Don’t judge govt schemes by budget outlays alone. Align policy with outcome

The real challenge for governance professionals in India is to design systems that ensure transparency and fair play while delivering intended...

15.10.2024 2

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

PCOs in 1990s to high-speed internet now—how India’s border regions transformed

In February 1994, I received a hotline call from then state home secretary Manish Gupta. He asked whether I, as Murshidabad DM, could quickly...

24.09.2024 4

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

Prayagraj v Noida—VVIP culture isn’t the same everywhere

What is the genesis of flag cars, beacons, and sirens? These are the all the hallmarks of military leaders in battle formations.

10.09.2024 3

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

Lateral entry is no silver bullet. Works more for NITI Aayog than ministries

The argument that the govt wanted to induct lateral entrants to inject ‘new ideas’ does not cut much ice. Perhaps it was trying to push multiple...

27.08.2024 4

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra

An American helped IAS officers like me ask the right questions—why James Scott is important

Scott looked at the State as it is—based on its functions rather than through the prism of Kautilya's Arthashastra, Machiavelli’s The Prince, or...

30.07.2024 2

ThePrint

Sanjeev Chopra