In order to understand why the Union Budget 2021-22 is being termed as ‘transparent’, it has to be read simultaneously with the 15th Finance Commission Main Report for 2021-26. But first, let us discuss 'fertilizer subsidy'. The budget documents for Union Budget 2021-22 show that the spending on ‘fertilizer subsidy’ was slashed from Rs. 1,33,947 crore in 2020-21 (revised estimate) to Rs. 79,530 crore in 2021-22 (budget estimate). However, the budgetary...

-The Indian Express Launched in June to help vendors amid the pandemic, the PM SVANidhi scheme is a micro-credit facility that provides street vendors a collateral-free Loan of Rs 10,000 at concessional rates of an estimated 7.25%. After being nudged by municipalities to step up Loan disbursements under the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) programme, banks are writing back to report that many of these collateral-free Loans are turning into...

-The Indian Express As the problem of non-performing assets persists in a sector stressed by the pandemic, the RBI Governor has agreed to look at a proposal for creating a bad bank. What are the arguments for and against the concept? Mumbai, New Delhi: The idea of setting up a bad bank to resolve the growing problem of non-performing assets (NPAs), or Loans on which borrowers have defaulted, is back on the...

-The Hindu Without regulation, the situation could spiral out of control Recently, a professor at a business school allegedly misused his faculty position to provide fake certificates to students whom he had compelled to attend an online course that he taught. He essentially took advantage of India’s rising pre-pandemic gig economy in education. When authorities at the institution discovered the racket, they suspended him. This is a cautionary tale for the global...

-BusinessToday.in Funding remains major problem for startups and MSMEs, survey reveals; around 28 per cent listed raising funds or Loans as top challenges in 2021, while another 25 per cent were worried about finding growth A clutch of MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) and startup schemes of the Centre, which were meant to help them tide over Covid-19 crisis may not have helped, an online poll by community social media platform...