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In a rare interview last Friday, Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel emphasised the need to ensure that the hard earned gains of macro-economic stability was maintained in order to withstand the global financial volatility. His explanation regarding the change of stance of the central bank was well-timed. Under his governorship since September last, …
Continue reading “External factors to limit possibility of rate cut by RBI”
The surprise move that pulled out 86% of currency out of circulation does not have any precedence in the world. There was absolutely no template to follow and no experience to draw upon. Considering this, it is not surprising that economists disagreed on the efficacy of the objective and severity of the impact. However, there …
Dust is far from settling down on the sudden move against black money and corruption. ‘Demonetisation’ or ‘Re-monetisation’, whatever one may call it, has shaken the whole country as 86% of total value of notes in circulation was sucked out of the system. Most importantly, it made the ill-gotten cash worthless, unless the corrupt hoarders …
Continue reading “Follow up demonetisation with structural reforms”
The e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), touted as the ‘turning point’ of India’s Agriculture sector, was launched by PM Modi in April this year. The e-NAM platform is expected to provide information to both buyers and sellers on produce available, its quality and price at the bidding markets. A farmer, empowered with this information, can take …
Continue reading “e-NAM & the dream of ‘One Nation One Market’”
The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth in the first quarter (April to June) of this fiscal year 2016-17 came in at 7.1 percent annually, much lower than 7.9 percent clocked in the previous quarter (January to March) and also lower than 7.5 percent during the same period last year. There was not much gloom-and- doom …
Continue reading “Indian economy: Present imperfect, future cautiously optimistic”
Swachh Bharat Mission – the flagship sanitation programme of the Indian government – aims to make India open-defecation free by 2019. However, this has only been achieved in 17 of 686 districts so far. In this article, Bhaskar Pant outlines the key reasons due to which the government’s efforts are not being reflected in the …
Continue reading “Making India open-defecation free by 2019”
As the NDA completes two years in power, Narendra Modi’s pet project, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, continues to transform the lives of women in India’s remotest villages. Just a few years back if someone had asked Nandini Rana about the existence of functioning toilets in Chandan Chowki, she would have reacted with amazement. Not because …
A recent rapid survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) on the Swachh Bharat Mission has raised a big question mark on the latter’s ability to realise the goal of an Open Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2019. As the survey points out, over half of the population in rural areas still defecate …
Continue reading “How to create ‘Open Defecation Free’ India by 2019”
The government is basking in glory with the construction of 80 lakh toilets across the countryside but the real picture is not as rosy as it may seem. Despite innumerable toilets being built, people in rural areas still prefer defecating in open fields. Swachh Bharat Mission is not a pioneering initiative itself. A series of …
Continue reading “Swachh Bharat Mission: Lessons from Rajasthan”
The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is the flagship programme of the Narendra Modi-government which aims to reach 75 million people with bank accounts and subsequently government transfers, insurance, pensions and credit. A key component of the programme is to take the benefits to the poorest of the poor. As of 2014, about 21% …
Continue reading “Expanding Jan Dhan Yojana through self-help groups”