-The Indian Express A change in definition is expected to improve their ease of doing business and help create more jobs. It has been reported that the government will soon change the way it defines the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). “We will have one meeting and then finalise it (changes to MSME definition),” Union Minister Nitin Gadkari told news agency PTI, adding that extensive changes will be made soon....

-The Telegraph The government plans to frontload additional expenditures in the rural job scheme to boost demand in the rural economy New Delhi: Rural development schemes are likely to get more funds than allotted in the budget to boost consumption growth, which has fallen to a seven-year low in the villages. The Narendra Modi-government plans to frontload additional expenditure in the rural job scheme and highway construction projects to boost demand in the...

-TheWire.in Did the auto sector's woes go hand-in-hand with the boom in affordable housing segment under PMAY? Sales in the auto sector and in related industries have fallen considerably in India. Maruti-Suzuki, the country’s leading car manufacturer, has reported a 32.7% decline in its total vehicle sales. There is a similar situation across the sector, including the two-wheeler industry. The sector has already lost over 300,000 jobs. What explains the massive slowdown in...

-The Hindu Business Line A dispersed pattern of urbanisation leads to sprawl with higher motorisation and pollution. A new urban vision is needed India’s demographic dividend cannot be realised if young entrants to the labour force as well as potential migrants from agriculture do not gain new livelihoods. Hastening of the structural transformation brings with it three mega-challenges for policy-makers: employment of migrants; growing urbanisation; and ensuring better education and vocational training...

-The Hindu It is imperative to focus on agricultural production in devising a long-term solution to the problem of unemployment At a panel discussion hosted recently by the students of Delhi’s Ambedkar University, the topic was, ‘Are we heading for an economic crisis?’ Presumably, they had been prompted by the all-absorbing news of a slowing economy. It is indeed correct that such a slowing is taking place. Growth has slowed for the...