-Down to Earth Russian invasion of Ukraine sharply altered the dynamics of coal trade, prices, supply and demand patterns  India, along with China, is the world’s largest coal producer, consumer and importer. Its own coal production will surpass a billion tonnes by 2025, the annual report of the International Energy Agency (IEA), predicted December 16, 2022. Also, India’s coal consumption has doubled since 2007 at an annual growth rate of 6 per cent....

-The Hindu The Right to Information (RTI) Act was passed by Parliament in 2005, aiming to give people access to the records of the Central and State governments. It was a vital reform to help activists and individuals ensure transparency and accountability in governance. In a discussion moderated by Sonikka Loganathan, Anjali Bhardwaj and Saurav Das take stock of what’s working and the issues that appear to be weakening the law....

-PTI/ The Telegraph    The levy on crude down to Rs 1,700 per tonne from Rs 4,900, as per order coming into effect Friday New Delhi: The government has slashed the windfall profit tax levied on domestically-produced crude oil as well as on export of diesel and ATF following a drop in global oil prices, according to an official order. The levy on crude oil produced by companies such as Oil and Natural...

-Financial Express Higher sowing augurs well for bountiful wheat and oilseed production The resilience of India’s agricultural sector has Been a positive factor in the India growth story. During the ongoing rabi season, the average area sown for wheat is up by 25%, to 25.5 million hectares as of December 9, from a year earlier. Area under oilseeds, too, is at record levels. All of this augurs well for bumper rabi crops...

-The Hindu Business Line MSMEs face a credit gap of ₹25 lakh crore as formal lenders meet less than 15 per cent of the sector’s requirements Quarterly MSME loan disbursements have increased over two-fold in the last two years, but the approval rate for medium-risk MSMEs has seen no improvement — a reflection of the lender’s low risk appetite, according to venture capital firm BLinC Invest. The increase in disbursements has Been made...