-The Business Standard Agri Survey diagnoses the key problems correctly The first-ever Agricultural Survey tabled in Parliament, emulating the presentation of the Economic Survey, seems a well-meaning exercise in candid analysis of the factors that have constrained the sector’s growth. Being an inaugural report card, it has done well not to confine itself to developments during 2011-12. The long-term trends do, indeed, provide the answers to some of the key questions...

The Supreme Court dismissed the government’s review petition in the Vodafone tax case on Tuesday, affirming its January ruling that put overseas transfers of shares outside the Indian tax net. The review petition and last week’s budget proposals seeking retrospective changes have revived the uncertainty over tax laws, according to government officials, the Planning Commission and businesses. If Parliament passes the budget in its current form, the judgement in the Vodafone case...

-The Economic Times The NGOs and experts working in water sector have welcomed the idea of promoting private investment in irrigation sector. "There is need and large scope for participation of private sector in the irrigation sector. The success will however will depend upon how the details are worked out taking views of local people and NGOs into consideration," said Dr Madhav Chitale, former secretary, Ministry of Water Resources.  The Finance Minister...

The latest round of data on the 2011 Census shows that the country is exhibiting distinct signs of trading up as material living conditions improve for large sections of the population. Although this aggregate picture is not uniform across the country, analysts believe that the upward material mobility in society is creating the basis of a new consumer boom in the economy—serving up a perfect backdrop ahead of the presentation of...

-The Business Standard Is river interlinking really worthwhile and viable? The Supreme Court’s startling directive to the Centre to set up a “special committee” to expedite river interlinking, which the Court declared was in the “national interest”, has caused the grandiose project to be, once again, closely examined. The idea has been fashionable in fits and starts; it was conceived as far back as the 1970s, and was promoted by the National...