Economic Survey. Image for representation.
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New Delhi: From the Rig Veda to the Ramayana, and from Mark Tully to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, a wide range of references have found mention in the 739-page Economic Survey 2025-26, tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
It is tabled ahead of the Union Budget and presents a backdrop for the policy actions to be taken in the next financial year.
The survey quoted Rig Veda, Mandala 10, Sukta 191, Verse 2, which says, "Move together, speak together, and let your minds be aligned. Just as those before acted in shared understanding to pursue a common purpose." The epic Ramayana, survey said, provides a valuable metaphor for strategic learning in complex and contested environments.
"In the Yuddha Kanda, the moment of Ravana’s defeat becomes a lesson in discernment, as Lord Rama reflects that insight may be drawn even from adversaries, without inheriting their values or methods.
"The teaching is subtle yet powerful: learning is compatible with autonomy. In today's fragmented global economy, the capacity to learn without dependence becomes an essential strategic skill," it said.
In its chapter on Building strategic resilience and strategic indispensability: The role of the state, the private sector and the citizens, the document has a quote from Bhagavad Gita.
"You have a right to action alone, not to the fruits of your labour. Do not let the fruits of action be your motive, nor allow yourself to fall into inaction," says Chapter 2, Verse 47 of the Gita.
Similarly, the survey embellishes a chapter on import substitution with a quote from Chanakya, which says, "The foundation of well-being is dharma. The foundation of dharma is economic strength. And the foundation of economic strength is the state." The survey has a quote from former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to support re-examination of India's RTI (Right to Information) law 2005.
Blair had regretted introducing a similar law, saying "You can't run a government without being able to have confidential discussions with people on issues of profound importance." It also quoted veteran journalist Mark Tully, a chronicler of India and an acclaimed author, to drive home the point that "If India is to truly fulfill its potential, it must move from a 'Ruler’s Raj' to a 'Citizen's Raj'." Mentioning a famous quote of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin - There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen - the survey said, "We are in a period where decades seem to happen in weeks. Interestingly, Russia is playing an instrumental role in the current episode".