March 9, 2024

Good morning. Every Saturday, we publish the results of polls from feature stories that were published the past week. We also give a brief overview of the topics that were discussed.

🗳️ POLL RESULTS – Week 165

🗓️ THE WEEK THAT WAS

Does the latest HCES signal a poverty reduction?

Daily | 4 March 2024

After over a decade, results of the latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) were released for 2022-23. Broadly, the survey showed the monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) for rural and urban India to be ₹3,773 and ₹6,459, respectively. Does the data indicate the economy’s general health in terms of poverty reduction? Read more on this here.

Is the Disney-Reliance merger good for the Indian media sector?

Daily | 5 March 2024

Disney announced a merger of its Indian business with Reliance in a $8.5 billion deal. The new entity will led by Nita Ambani and is widely expected to be the leading TV and digital streaming juggernaut. For the entertainment and sports business, it’s a big deal. However, is such consolidation good for the sector? Is it good for consumers? We discuss it here.

Should the government regulate private healthcare costs?

Daily | 6 March 2024

Successive governments have tried to ensure the bare minimum – provide access to affordable and quality healthcare for every citizen. The ‘affordable’ part is what we’re focusing on. India isn’t the richest country in the world, so the government tries to ensure that private healthcare doesn’t dominate. Apart from its own schemes, should the government regulate private healthcare costs for greater accessibility? We unpack this here.

Will a tax on junk food help combat obesity in India?

Daily | 8 March 2024

A recent Lancet study stated that obesity, particularly among young children, has increased manifold in India. There’s a clear and urgent need to combat this health crisis. While just asking people to eat healthy and exercise might not be the trick, taxing junk food might dissuade people from opting for junk food. Could this be the answer? Find the debate here.