-The Indian Express   Banning cotton exports hurts the farmer, signals India as an unpredictable supplier to the world Two days after the commerce ministry imposed a sudden ban on cotton exports, there are indications the government is preparing grounds for a facesaver. In all likelihood, a limited window may be opened at least for allowing exports for which registration certificates have already been issued by the Directorate General for Foreign Trade. Finance...

-The Times of India Fears that policy paralysis will continue after the Congress party's poor show in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections unnerved investors, and the sensex lost 190 points on Tuesday to end the day at 17173, its worst close in six weeks. The trepidation in the markets also affected shares of a few Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Group companies, even though they were actually expected to gain because of the...

-The Times of India   With elections in five states out of the way, the government-run fuel retailers on Monday ratcheted up their demand for an increase in petrol prices by as much as Rs 5 a litre. The demand could leave the government with a political cleft stick, coming on the day Congress received a severe drubbing in the assembly polls.  Piling losses of state-run firms appear to leave little choice for...

-IANS The Indian government's subsidy burden is expected to reach 2.5 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) for the fiscal ending March 31, the highest in 10 years, due to higher price of crude oil and other commodities, a report showed Tuesday.  The total subsidy is expected to increase to Rs.2,23,000 crore in the current financial year, which is 2.5 percent of GDP at the current market price which is...

India’s decision-makers seem to find it difficult to see that there are children in the country. Being unable to see them, they are unable to perceive that they are hungry. In an age when we are able to use euphemisms like ‘under-nutrition’, this is perhaps not surprising. But it is disgraceful none the less.   This country has a large population of children. Fortyone per cent of its total numbers. The national...