-Business Standard Indian economy is showing signs of distress all around and economists are not off the mark in their assessment When Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on November 8 and announced his government’s big move to tackle black money, currency counterfeiting and terror funding by banning old currency notes of Rs 500 & Rs 1,000, there were murmurs of protest. Since then, economists like Amartya Sen, Kaushik Basu and many...

-The Hindu Affidavit in SC denies any lack of preparedness in implementing the demonetisation policy Curb on money transactions, including withdrawals and wedding expenses, are “only reasonable restrictions” imposed on the rights of the public for a limited time, the government said in its latest affidavit. “Cancellation of legal tender of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes is only a reasonable restriction and regulatory in nature. Merely because there is a restriction on...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Aadhaar number is all set to become an alternative for all online and card transactions which require password and PIN. Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is developing a mobile app that can be used by shopkeepers, merchants or individuals for receiving payments. The move is part of the drive, anchored by Niti Aayog, to make India a cashless economy after the government scrapped high-value...

-The Hindu Delay in monsoon has compounded the problems of farm labourers from Bahour commune Puducherry: The double whammy of demonetisation and delay in monsoon has crippled the rural population of Puducherry as they struggle to make their ends meet. The demonetisation move has brought the construction activity across the rural areas to a standstill, throwing thousands out of jobs and without money. The construction sites in rural areas of Bahour, Villianur, Mannadipet...

-The Hindu Maximum government, minimum governance: Pranab Bardhan Two prominent American economists have widely different views on India’s demonetisation drive. Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff is of the opinion that the move will help tackle corruption and tax evasion, while Pranab Bardhan, Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, believes it cannot make “much of a dent in the long-term problem of corruption or black money.” Both of them shared their...