Putting more money in the hands of rural households will stir up the economy The government’s statistical machinery has begun work on revising the indices that capture the trends in consumer prices experienced in rural India. This opens up the prospect for an upward revision in the wages paid out …
Read More »Monthly Archives: September 2019
A deep cut
Tax cuts have enthused Corporate India, but there is the fiscal problem to deal with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ushered in Deepavali early for Corporate India and the markets on Friday with her announcement of deep cuts in corporate taxes and roll-back of some market-unfriendly proposals in the Budget she …
Read More »An independent fiscal watchdog for Parliament
A Parliament Budget Office can help drive smarter, more focused debate in the media and with the electorate When most people arrive at the ballot box, they vote with their gut. But getting there requires absorbing and shaping months and years of conversations, long-held opinions and ideally, hard facts and …
Read More »One people, many countries
The Indian American gathering in Houston will be an unlikely reminder of the futility of the claims of ultra-nationalism Around 50,000 Indian Americans are expected to attend a rally in Houston, Texas on September 22 to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump, current leaders …
Read More »A lake in the cross-hairs of development
Residents of four high-rise apartment complexes along the Vembanad lake in Maradu, Kerala, are protesting against a recent Supreme Court order to raze down their homes, reportedly built in flagrant violation of CRZ guidelines. K.S. Sudhi chronicles the controversy Following a Supreme Court ultimatum in early September, life has taken …
Read More »UNICEF looks at risks faced by youth
War, climate change, mental illness and online misinformation are rising threats Protracted conflicts, the worsening climate crisis, a rising level of mental illness among young people, and online misinformation are some of the most concerning emerging global threats to children, cautions UNICEF. In an open letter issued by the organisation’s …
Read More »Catch a cold and help scientists make new vaccines
Under a new model, volunteers will be infected with viruses or bacteria The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is close to finalising three projects worth Rs. 135 crore, involving Indian and European scientists, to develop new influenza vaccines. What will make these projects unique is that they involve a Controlled Human …
Read More »Is the reign of ‘King Bibi’ over?
Deadlock continues as main parties fail to reach consensus Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suffered a major political setback on Tuesday when results of parliamentary election were out. Mr. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister who was in power for 10 consecutive years and was hoping to win a fifth …
Read More »Abolish executive presidency: Ranil backers
The proposal, made by the Prime Minister’s allies, did not find many takers at Cabinet meeting Backers of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday proposed abolishing the country’s highly-controversial executive presidency, but with few takers in the Cabinet it was thwarted, according to those present at the discussion. The move …
Read More »U.S. backs Saudi’s ‘right to defend itself’
Iranian regime’s threatening behaviour will not be tolerated, says Secretary of State Pompeo U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that America backs Saudi Arabia’s “right to defend itself” after a weekend attack targeted the heart of its oil industry, comments coming after he described the assault as …
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