Demonetization and Black Economy gives a blow-by-blow account of what happened and what were it s effects. This is a powerful book by India's foremost expert on black economy and public finance. The book is a no-holds-barred look into what happens to a nation when its own government devalues its currency. Also find out what were the social, political and economic costs to the nation. This is a hardhitting look at demonetization, and why it could be one of the worst mistakes made by an Indian government with serious social, political and economic consequences. --

In this book, the author critically examines the standard explanations for the causes and consequences of black income generation. His analysis lays bare the pernicious effects of black income on the macroeconomy and the resultant inefficiency, waste in the economy and society.

The Narendra Modi government's sudden demonetization of `500 and `1,000 notes in November 2016 failed to put a dent in the black economy but caused untold hardship to hundreds of millions of Indians. It has crippled the country's economy for a long time to come. In this book, Arun Kumar, the country's leading authority on the black economy, tells us why Modi's gambit failed. He shows us the way in which the problem can be rooted out, provided the government has the political will and determination to act. Today, the black economy is estimated to be 62 per cent of GDP-or about `93 lakh crore ($1.4 trillion). Corrupt businessmen, corrupt politicians, and corrupt members of the executive (bureaucrats, police and the judiciary) are responsible for controlling the black economy and enabling its growth. If the black economy were to be dismantled and turned into a part of the 'white' economy, the country's rate of growth would be 12 per cent. If it had not grown the way it has since the 1970s, India's per capita income today would be approximately `7 lakh per annum ($11,000) and India would become the second largest economy in the world. If the black economy were taxed at current rates, it would generate `37 lakh crore in additional taxes and the union budget would show a surplus of `31 lakh crore instead of a deficit. The failure of successive governments to tackle the problem effectively has been the single biggest obstacle to eradicating poverty. It is the cause of both widespread policy failure and the inability of the nation to improve its living conditions rapidly.

The demonetisation of November 2016 will go down in history as one of the most intensely debated economic policy interventions of the Indian state. With the abolition of the legal tender status of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, about 86 per cent of the currency in circulation stood withdrawn from circulation in the economy. The purpose, according to the government, was to stamp out counterfeit currency, unearth black money, and usher in a less-cash economy. This work analyses in detail the conception and implementation of demonetisation, its impact on different spheres of the economy and sections of the people, and various claims of the government vis-à-vis demonetisation. It tries to locate the two demonetisations of 1978 and 2016 within the broader questions of tax evasion and the generation and storage of black money in India over the last six decades. It has a comprehensive introduction, supported by writings from the archives of the Economic & Political Weekly.

8 November 2016 was a black swan event in Indian history. At one stroke, 86 per cent of the currency in circulation was demonetized, causing confusion, chaos and endless misery to the common Indian. While the Modi government claimed that it was the silver bullet that India needed to eliminate many of its longstanding problems such as black money, corruption, tax evasion and terror funding, the months that followed proved it otherwise. The return of 99.7 per cent of the banned 500 rupee and 1,000-rupee notes showed that the RBI's idea of Demonetization Dividend was nothing but a mirage. In the process, livelihoods of millions in the informal sector were destroyed, causing enormous distress to farmers and, traders and forcing many micro, small and medium businesses into bankruptcy. One of India's most respected bankers, Meera H. Sanyal provides the most comprehensive analysis of the policy, its execution and pitfalls. The Big Reverse presents unprecedented insights backed by data, history and research. And as a result, answers the questions that still continue to haunt Indians, on the what, why and how of demonetization.

On 8 November 2016, at 8:00 PM IST, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that four hours from his declaration, all 500 and 1000 rupees notes would be devalued. At the stroke of the midnight hour, India awoke to an unexpected tryst with demonetization. An incisive and insightful take on the issue, Pankaj Sharma and Saurav Sanyal's book gives agency to the ordinary Indian voters, the 'torchbearers of democracy'. Going beyond the idea of the citizen as a mere recipient of the government's edicts or munificence, the authors focus on the power of the common man as a voter and the repercussions of demonetization on the upcoming 2019 general elections in India. In 2019, will demonetization be seen as the waterloo of Modi, or will he emerge stronger and even more powerful? In dissecting the political implications of demonetization, the authors espouse a varied yet nuanced approach. From discussing the role of human psychology in making political choices to a search for an on-the-ground sentiment in determining the factors of influence, Sharma and Sanyal leave no stone unturned in analysing demonetization as THE political issue for the future of Indian democracy.