-Livemint.com Clearly, there is much more to GDP data than aggregate estimates. The National Statistical Office (NSO) released estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) for the second quarter of this fiscal year on 30 November. Based on these, India’s GDP in the July-September quarter increased by 6.3% compared to last year, whereas the gross value added (GVA) during the same period increased by 5.6%; the manufacturing sector witnessed a contraction of 4.3%....

-The Hindu There should be differentiation between pet animals, draught animals, commercial animals for food, animals for performance and entertainment, and zoo animals, says head of Poultry Federation of India As the last date to submit views and opinions on the draft Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Bill ended on December 7, questions have been raised, particularly by poultry farmers and farmers, on the lack of clarity in defining cruelty and...

There is some respite expected for India in terms of prices of imported commodities. This may ease the depletion of its foreign exchange reserves. The country has faced a widening of its merchandise trade deficit from US$ -17.91 billion to US$ -26.91 billion between October 2021 and October 2022. The commodity price data provided by the World Bank in December 2022 (termed as The Pink Sheet) shows that energy prices plummeted by...

-Moneycontrol.com The fertiliser subsidy stood at Rs 1.62 lakh crore in the previous financial year. The government's fertiliser subsidy will rise to Rs 2.3-2.5 lakh crore in this fiscal but the bill may fall by 25 per cent in the 2023-24 financial year with moderation in global prices, according to industry body FAI. Fertilisers Association of India (FAI) expressed concern that the fixed cost of urea has not been increased affecting the viability...

-The Tribune The agency-wise share indicates that agricultural credit dispensation in the country is heavily dependent on commercial banks and points towards the poor credit delivery capability of cooperative banks and regional rural banks. THE availability of finance is a key driver of progress in any sector. In the case of agriculture, access to adequate credit assumes vital significance since most of the agriculturists are small or marginal farmers. It has been...