India needs harmony between PM Modi and RBI chief Raghuram Rajan PM Modi’s recent address to a joint session of the US Congress succeeded on multiple counts. His message was crisp and clear, it hit a whole host of major touch points, and he moved effectively between generalities and specifics that must be tackled if the bilateral relationship is to deepen and progress. Modi’s speech-writers were adept at crafting metaphors for his audience. On the matter of the Indian economy, Raghuram Rajan’s appointment in 2013 as the 23rd Governor of the RBI was a sure-footed move during a period of early missteps. (File Picture of Rajan with PM Modi) There were apposite references - from Lincoln and Martin Luther King, to Whitman and Thoreau - coupled with turns of phrase that prompted US legislators to applaud. Audience Most significant was the delivery; Modi knows how to give a speech. His inflections, dramatic pauses, gestural wit and humour won over the audience. At certain moments you even felt a frisson and remembered lacklustre speeches of his predecessor who could have used better training in public speaking. Media parsing the speech have hailed it as an inflection point for US-India relations, overcoming “hesitations of history” to which Modi himself alluded. For the PM, the common historical sinews of democracy, constitutionalism, liberty and equality (glossing over philosophical tensions that attend these terms), are the basis for ties that bind. Common values equate with a common cooperative destiny: into a fresh partnership, let my country awake. A line halfway through the speech evoked another memory.pre bonded hair “India is undergoing profound social and economic change,” the PM declared. On the matter of the Indian economy, Raghuram Rajan’s appointment in 2013 as the 23rd Governor of the RBI was a sure-footed move during a period of early missteps. In the current new normal Era of the central banker, Rajan stands out as a beacon of intellectual rectitude and street savvy. Rajan’s tenure demonstrates an astute even-handedness. His refusal to stride in lockstep with the profligate credit policies of the Fed, ECB, Bank of Japan, Bank of England, and the People’s Bank of China must be hailed as a triumph of good sense over group-think. Elsewhere, silver-tongued central bankers, brandishing monetary policy as weaponised stimuli, preside over massive wealth confiscation from savers to borrowers, compressing and skewing risk premia - and inflating credit-fuelled asset bubbles that will, in time, unleash even greater systemic shocks. By contrast, Rajan’s appropriate focus on banks cleaning up their balance sheets and beginning serious workouts of non-performing loans appears positively antediluvian. Going against the tide is nothing new for Rajan. Former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers called Rajan a Luddite when he correctly warned against excesses in the system, a put-down he should wear as a badge of honour. Rajan’s attunement to excesses in the global economy, to structural imbalances and mismatches, perverse incentives, unintended consequences and the boom bust cycles that characterise contemporary economic life, sets him apart. His peers, swaddled in econometric models and delusionary obfuscations, stoke what the economist Hyman Minsky has termed Ponzi Finance.

Economy Consider former Fed chair Alan Greenspan, arguably a case of failure trumped up as competence. Greenspan’s boom-bust cycles became progressively worse, finally culminating in the Global Financial Crisis. And then, in an irony worthy of a hip-hop musical, Greenspan joined the hedge fund Paulson & Co as an advisor in 2008 - the firm that profited most from shorting the subprime bubble Greenspan helped create. Now Rajan finds himself the brunt of gratuitous attacks. Rather than being celebrated as a central banker with savoir faire, he’s under assault for everything from his cautiousness about lowering interest rates to his alleged politicising of the office. It’s time to explode the fiction of the so-called Central Bank independence - that bankers stand apart from politics or that they are not actors within the political system. The relationship between a politically-appointed central banker and his or her politician patrons is one of elasticity and complementarity. Fiscal and monetary policy often work in tandem, but the latter periodically also helps check the former. Growth The widely-read “Grant’s Interest Rate Observer” has termed the Indian economy “one of mankind’s forever-latent growth stories.” Now India is being celebrated as the next China, a holdout hope as other BRICS implode. What Rajan correctly understands is that no single metric, like GDP, is dispositive for an economy. A healthy economy needs to be structurally sound and its steady growth sustainable. On this significant insight alone, Rajan deserves to stay.remy hair extensions Economic empowerment, a key element of Modi’s vision of a stable and prospering India, cannot be realised under circumstances of structural weakness or volatility. Modi, tongue-in-cheek, told the US Congress that it is known for working harmoniously. We know this to be far from true. But there have been historic moments when congressional incivility has been called out. In 1954, Joseph Welch, Chief Council for the US Army in the Army-McCarthy hearings told the ignoble Senator McCarthy, “You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, Sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?” Buried in the PM’s speech was also a call for “respect for Global Commons.” In a financial world where economic policy and capital markets affect the lives of every citizen in increasingly immediate ways, the abstract domains of finance and economics need proper, level-headed stewardship. This too is a form of commons. And the stakes of mismanaging them are inordinately high. The writer divides his time between New York and Gurgaon

Chris Rock's 33-year-old girlfriend Megalyn Echikunwoke flashed a diamond ring on her wedding finger on Saturday evening while at the Apollo in the Hamptons 2016 party in New York City. The timing is interesting as the next day the comedian finalized his divorce from wife of 20 years, Malaak Compton-Rock. The ring - a yellow gold double band with a small diamond - could be an engagement ring. As PageSix revealed on Thursday, a friend shared a clear image of the ring and added it was time to celebrate 'new beginnings,' strongly suggesting the standup could be on his way to another marriage. Bling it on! Chris Rock's girlfriend Megalyn Echikunwoke flashed diamond ring on wedding finger on Sunday the night before his divorce was finalized from wife of 10 years Malaak 'Last night we celebrated new beginnings . . . #lovewins,' the unidentified friend wrote in the caption. The site pointed out Echikunwoke seemed to take a dig at Malaak when she replied 'Bye, Felicia,' which is a catchphrase that pretty much translates to 'don't let the door hit you on the way out,' only not as polite. A friend added crying-laughter emojis.perruques cheveux naturels They look good together: The standup and Echikunwoke at the Governor's Ball at the 88th Academy Awards back in February; she does not appear to have the ring on here The post was then taken down. The beauty glowed as she held onto Rock, who was also in great spirits. She had on a lovely floral-print dress with spaghetti straps and her hair was worn down over her bare shoulders. A source told PageSix, 'she always wears that ring,' which appears to be true as she has had it on several times in the past six months. They have been dating for one year and she lives at his New Jersey home.

The last one: Rock and Malaak back in 2014; they have two daughters together and have raised an adopted daughter as well His rep then said Chris was '100 percent' not engaged. On Monday Chris and Malaak both appeared in a New Jersey courtroom to finalise the split, reported TMZ. The 51-year-old comic actor and his wife - who have been separated since 2014 -have two daughters Lola Simone, 14 and  Zahra Savanna, 12. Chris and Malaak Compton-Rock also appear to have been raising eight-year-old Ntombi, who first came to live with them from South Africa when she was six months old, according to the website, although details are unclear. In divorce papers, Malaak listed Ntombi-futhi Samantha as a dependent along with the Rocks’ two biological daughters. The kids: Chris with Malaak and children Lola, Zahra Savanna and Ntombi at the Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted premiere in NYC in 2012 She stated that in addition to their two children, there is a child 'who has resided with the parties since before her first birthday.' But rather mysteriously, a spokesman for Chris told TMZ he does not have an adopted child.perruques cheveux TMZ previously reported that back in 2008, the family took in Ntombi who remained in their house and was subsequently enrolled in a local school. She mingles with the big guns: Chris and Megalyn with Harvey Weinstein at the Apollo party The site added that the girl's parents were thought to be unemployed and from South Africa, although it is not known why she was living with the Rock family. They add that when Chris and Malaak began divorce proceedings, Chris maintained contact with his two biological daughters. However their divorce case is sealed so it is not known what settlement was reached. Meanwhile, Chris began dating actress Megalyn earlier this year. Megalyn, who has had recurring roles in 24, ER, CSI Miami, The 4400, 90210 and Damien, was most recently featured as the animal-powered Vixen in the TV series Arrow.

Madonna surprised fans with an unexpected appearance at a 25th anniversary screening of her documentary Truth Or Dare on Wednesday. The superstar showed up at the event held at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan to the delight of the 400 or so in the audience. The 58-year-old pop culture icon shared a couple of photos on her Instagram showing her standing between two on-screen images of herself from her Blond Ambition tour of 1990. 'Surreal moment!' she wrote alongside the picture.lace front wigs Scroll down for video 'Surreal moment!' Madonna surprised fans at a 25th anniversary screening of documentary Truth Or Dare and posed next to images of herself from the 1990 Blond Ambition Tour Madonna: Truth Or Dare was first released in May 1991 and followed the Material Girl on tour and showed her behind-the-scenes with then-boyfriend Warren Beatty, praying with her backup dancers and facing arrest for public indecency at her concert in Toronto, Canada. 'So many freedoms we take for granted that we did not have then. Thank you Alek Keshishian. We changed history with this film.!' Madonna wrote. Keshishian directed the film that was shot in black and white.

Who's that girl? The pop icon, who just turned 58, delighted the 400 or so fans gathered to watch the film at the museum Of Modern Art in Manhattan on Wednesday Demure: Madonna wore an off-he-shoulder red dress with white floral detailing and cinched at the waist with a black band for her surprise appearance Sharing 'a kiki': She was accompanied by her daughter Lourdes 'Lola' Leon, 19 In a second photo shared via her Instagram, she's seen sharing 'a kiki' with daughter Lourdes Leon or Lola as she calls her. Madonna wore a red off-the-shoulder dress with a flounce neckline and black spaghetti straps.cosplay wigs The frock features white floral detailing, half-sleeves and was cinched under the bust with a black band. She added a matching black and white floral patterned purse and wore her signature blonde hair styled in loose waves to her shoulders. Madonna had just returned from a birthday trip to Cuba with Lola, 19, and adopted children, 10-year-olds David and Mercy. Truth Or Dare AKA In Bed With Madonna showed behind-the-scenes footage of the singer including candid moments with then-boyfriend Warren Beatty and prayer circles with her dancers Getaway: Madonna recently celebrated her 58th birthday with a trip to Cuba accompanied by daughter Lola, 19, and her adopted children David and Mercy, both 10