-The Hindu Aadhaar-based Biometric Authentication does nothing in the battle against graft — there are better alternatives In a sickening way, October 2017 was like October 2002. Fifteen years ago, in Rajasthan’s Baran and Udaipur districts, there was a spate of starvation deaths. The government of the time made up fanciful stories to deny that the deaths had anything to do with hunger or government failure. In October 2017, the death of an 11-year-old...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The major changes in GST rates in the 28 per cent bracket and measures to simplify filing and compliance are seen as an effort by the government to correct an "image problem" dogging the tax reform in key consumer and trader constituencies ahead of the Gujarat elections. It was felt a perception had gained ground that middle class activities like eating out and items like cosmetics...

-TheWire.in Given his government’s record of inaction, however, the latest disclosures are also likely to sink without a trace. The ‘Paradise Papers’ expose carried out by the Indian Express in collaboration with a German newspaper and the International Consortium of Journalists (ICIJ) once again reveals the extent of the black money menace and the lack of political will to take it on. By now it is clear that the Narendra Modi government...

-Livemint.com Cash scarcity LED to a spike in digital payments post demonetisation, but the trend reversed as remonetisation picked up pace New Delhi: Soon after demonetisation was announced on 8 November last year, it was projected as part of a broader push towards a cashless economy. Several ministers and government officials claimed that this would nudge Indians to rely on non-cash or digital payments. In the weeks and months following demonetisation, digital payments...

-Scroll.in With reports of abandoned cows destroying crops, the state’s cow protection panel has proposed penalties on owners who set them free. The Bharatiya Janata Party is scrambling to contain the fallout of its efforts to prevent the slaughter of cows, which have distorted rural economies in unforeseen ways. To deal with one unexpected consequence, a Madhya Pradesh government panel has now recommended penalties for farmers who abandon their cattle. This highlights...