-The Hindu Unlike the ‘Economic Survey’ proposal, the idea behind a universal basic income is one of redistribution The Economic Survey 2016-17 tabled in Parliament last month has proposed introducing a universal basic income in India, and has devoted an entire chapter to this new idea. A universal and unconditional income transfer to all citizens in order to address the twin problems of poverty and unemployment is undoubtedly a proposal that merits...

-The Hindu Business Line It should have considered universal basic income. But sadly, budgets are not seen as a means to meet socio-economic goals The Union Budget attracts considerable media hype and debate. Democracy, if understood as a contract between the state and its citizens, may have to use the budgetary process to ensure not only prosperity for all, but justice or fairness to the most disadvantaged among them as well. A rational...

-Caravan Magazine Arun Kumar is an eminent economist who has been studying the black economy in India for close to four decades. His 1999 book The Black Economy in India is among the foremost accounts of the black-money problem in the country. In Understanding the Black Economy and Black Money in India: An Enquiry into Causes, Consequences and Remedies, released in February 2017, Kumar discusses the misconceptions around black money, the...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The government and RBI on Monday unveiled fresh restrictions on deposit of old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, saying anyone depositing above Rs 5,000 will be questioned "on record, in the presence of at least two officials of the bank, as to why this could not be deposited earlier" and only after a "satisfactory explanation" will the money be deposited. This flies in the face...

-The Hindu Business Line No special treatment for political parties, clarifies Jaitley New Delhi: Political parties registered with the election commission may not necessarily escape scrutiny of their returns with regard to deposits of old demonetised notes just because they are exempted from Taxation under Section 13 A of income tax law. For political parties to gain exemption under Section 13 A, certain conditions have to be met. Also, there are "enough provisions" in...