The flow of bank credit to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that took a hit in the aftermath of demonetisation seems to have picked up again, a study by officials at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed. Growth of bank credit to the MSME sector, which had started …
Read More »Monthly Archives: August 2018
N Korea leader lambasts ‘brigandish’ sanctions: KCNA
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attacked “hostile forces” over “brigandish” sanctions, state media reported on Friday, as Washington seeks to maintain pressure on Pyongyang over its nuclear programme. According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency, Mr. Kim did not name the U.S. but rebuked what he called …
Read More »Nepal crime reform sparks press freedom concerns
Nepal introduced a new criminal code on Friday that makes sharing confidential information a jailable offence, sparking concerns among journalists that the laws could be used to muzzle the press. Media have warned that the Communist-led government, which has shown an increasing intolerance for dissent, could use the vaguely worded …
Read More »SC urges steps to lower Mullaperiyar storage
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud was hearing a petition filed by Russel Joy, a resident of Idukki district where the dam is located. Mr. Joy, represented by advocate Manoj George, highlighted that the water level in the dam was dangerously high and …
Read More »‘Probe groups linked to Amnesty-UK’
The Department of Revenue has received a reference from the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) unit of the Central government, seeking a probe to determine whether the Indian entities linked to Amnesty International-UK violated foreign exchange rules. The Enforcement Directorate is looking into the issue that pertains to the FCRA …
Read More »T.N. refuses to reduce Mullaperiyar level
Tamil Nadu has “dissented” from an advisory issued by a Supreme Court-nominated expert committee to reduce water storage in the Mullaperiyar dam by two to three feet. As of Friday morning, water in the dam had risen to 141.2 feet, just a few inches short of the 142-feet ceiling mandated …
Read More »Kung Fu comes to Kolkata’s Durga Puja
Over the last few years, ‘Durga Puja diplomacy’ has been gaining importance in Kolkata, with countries that have consulates here making it a point to participate in the celebrations. This year, China has decided to take a big step forward by actively collaborating with the BJ Block Durga Puja Committee …
Read More »An understanding friend of the Nagas
Six Prime Ministers have visited Nagaland. But none of them, including Narendra Modi, has found as much space in the heart of the Nagas as Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It was not just because Vajpayee was the first Prime Minister to recognise the “unique history of the Nagas” and provide a …
Read More »Proposal for city-level GDP under study
With urban India responsible for an increasingly large share of the national GDP, the Centre now hopes to bring out city-level GDP data. This could help both cities and investors make wise decisions, and also help municipal bodies raise funds for their own infrastructure needs, according to a senior official …
Read More »It’s a constitutional crisis: Bengal
The West Bengal government on Friday told the Supreme Court that the row over the recently-concluded panchayat polls in the State has led to a “constitutional crisis” since the tenure of several panchayats was over and new bodies have not been made functional. The apex court had earlier stayed the …
Read More »