-The Hindu Business Line Credit risk is building in auto MSMEs, says Pulse report Mumbai: There was a marked slowdown in commercial credit growth in the quarter ending June 2019 along with a marginal deterioration in asset quality, according to the seventh edition of TransUnion CIBIL-SIDBI MSME Pulse Report. The total on-balance sheet commercial lending exposure in India declined to Rs.63.8 lakh crores in June 2019 from Rs.65.5 lakh crores in March 2019....

-The Hindu Zero Budget Natural Farming has no scientific validation and its inclusion into agricultural policy appears unwise Most criticisms of modern agricultural practices are criticisms of Post-Liebig developments in agricultural science. It was after the pioneering work of Justus von Liebig and Friedrich Wöhler in organic chemistry in the 19th century that chemical fertilizers began to be used in agriculture. In the 20th century, the criticisms levelled against Green Revolution technologies...

-The Hindu Business Line A dispersed pattern of urbanisation leads to sprawl with higher motorisation and pollution. A new urban vision is needed India’s demographic dividend cannot be realised if young entrants to the labour force as well as potential migrants from agriculture do not gain new livelihoods. Hastening of the structural transformation brings with it three mega-challenges for policy-makers: employment of migrants; growing urbanisation; and ensuring better education and vocational training...

-The Indian Express The Punjab government felt that people would heed to the reinforcement of the Guru’s message and stop abusing natural resources. The Punjab government recently passed a resolution based on one of the basic tenets of Guru Nanak’s philosophy to desist farmers from burning stubble Post paddy harvest and stop overexploiting groundwater. The Indian Express explains why something that the Guru said over five centuries ago is relevant in...

-The Hindu It is imperative to focus on agricultural production in devising a long-term solution to the problem of unemployment At a panel discussion hosted recently by the students of Delhi’s Ambedkar University, the topic was, ‘Are we heading for an economic crisis?’ Presumably, they had been prompted by the all-absorbing news of a slowing economy. It is indeed correct that such a slowing is taking place. Growth has slowed for the...