-The Telegraph Overall current account deficit in July rises to $21.04 billion (merchandise and services), commerce ministry reports on Friday Mumbai: Reserve Bank of India deputy governor Michael Patra has tried to soothe concerns about the anticipated surge in India’s current account deficit, suggesting that the country will not be roiled by a crisis if the CAD climbed to anywhere between 2.5 and 3 per cent of GDP. “Our experience has been that...

-The Telegraph Food prices, which account for nearly half of the consumer price index basket, softened last month The finance ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are in discussions on the inflation trajectory amid the easing of global commodity and crude oil prices. A Reuters poll of economists forecast retail inflation at a five-month low in July at 6.78 per cent. But it is still above the RBI’s upper threshold...

-Down to Earth blog Palm oil is water-intensive and requires large patches of land India is the second-largest consumer of edible oil globally and its largest importer. While the government has taken several initiatives over the years to increase the domestic production of edible oils, its shortage and high price are often in the news. Palm oil production grew between 2015-2016 and 2020-2021 at a compound annual growth rate of 6.1 per cent,...

-Moneycontrol.com Not only population, but several other factors affect the food system, including climate risks and their impact. An IPCC report predicts up to 30 percent decline in rice yields if global temperatures continue to rise India, a country with just 2.4 percent of the world’s total land area, is the largest producer of milk and pulses, and the second largest producer of rice and wheat, as per the United Nations’ Food...

-The Hindu India needs to invest in quality school and higher education as well as healthcare The UN report, World Population Prospects 2022, forecasts that the world’s population will touch eight billion this year and rise to 9.8 billion in 2050. What is of immediate interest to India is that its population will surpass China’s by 2023 and continue to surge. A long-time critic of China’s population policy and author of Big Country...