-The Hindu Announcing new income tax proposals in the Union Budget 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the new tax rates will be optional. In a proposal to simplify the personal income tax regime, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in the Union Budget 2020 speech, said that income tax rates will be “significantly reduced” for those who forgo reliefs and exemptions. The new tax rates will be optional, she said. Please click here...

-The Indian Express Boosting consumption by leaving people with higher disposable incomes is the key strategy The fine print of the Union Budget for 2020-21 notwithstanding, the central strategy of the government seems to be to boost the disposable incomes of the Indian consumers. * What was the problem slowing down the economy? Typically, there are four engines of GDP (gross domestic product) growth. These are as follows: Consumption of the private individuals (or...

-Press release by NREGA Sangharsh Morcha dated 27 January, 2020 As the Indian economy continues to languish, the government ignores the advice given by several noted economists, including that of the most recent Nobel winner Abhijit Banerjee, to improve the functioning of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). The economy is facing blow after blow. India has the highest rates of unemployment in the past 45 years and food inflation...

-Business Standard Natural farming is an alternative to chemical fertiliser-based and high input cost agriculture After decades of intensive agriculture, farms and farmers are in a crisis, food markets remain distorted, and consumers do not have access to nutritious diets. India needs a shift towards sustainable food systems. Among many alternative farming techniques is natural farming, with the potential to improve sustainability and also meliorate government finances. Natural farming is an alternative to...

-The Indian Express "Domestic demand has slowed more sharply than expected amid stress in the non-bank financial sector and a decline in credit growth," India-born IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath said. Citing a sharp economic slowdown in India and other emerging markets, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday lowered growth estimate for the world economy to 2.9 per cent for 2019. Besides, the International Monetary Fund also trimmed India’s growth estimate...