Despite the high-theatrics rollback of the Railway Budget, the government is confident of being able to push ahead with the reforms agenda. Despite the high-theatrics rollback of the Railway Budget, the government is confident of being able to push ahead with the reforms agenda. In an e-mailed post-Budget interview, Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee took questions from Outlook’s Lola Nayar and Sebastian P.T. Edited excerpts: The government has managed to get UPA...

-The Times of India The Centre on Wednesday said action against a corrupt government employee can be taken even after his retirement. Disciplinary proceedings instituted against central government officials can be continued even after their retirement and "if found guilty of grave misconduct, cut in Pension can also be imposed under relevant Pension Rules", minister of state for personnel V Narayanasamy told Lok Sabha. In written reply to a question, the minister said...

The Planning Commission is back in the news. The latest round of poverty levels that have been disclosed have created another debate in the country. Once more, people are stunned at the meager rate of Rs 28 that has been defined as the poverty line. Even though I addressed some apprehensions in an earlier post, this time around the issue seems to be more about myths, perceptions and lack of...

One man’s fiscal problem is another man’s lifeline. Trigger happy bureaucrats and economists may love shooting down subsidies because it bloats the fiscal deficit and burdens the government but the simple fact is that in a one billion strong nation, in which nearly one in every three live below the poverty line, one needs an effective and efficient method through which privileged tax payers can support the poor. Last week, finance...

-The Times of India Parliamentarians owe the public exchequer over Rs 6 crore in pending electricity and water dues, according to a RTI reply. The reply from New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has over 3,335 entries of pending water and electricity dues against MPs which total to over Rs 6.27 crore. The information was provided to RTI activist Subhash Agrawal by NDMC. During the hearing of a PIL on the issue, the Lok...