-The Hindu The government has failed to heed recommendations made by economists and bureaucrats on turnaround MEAsures One of the visitors to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his re-election this summer was a former Secretary to the Government of India holding a high-profile constitutional office. During the conversation, the Prime Minister asked: “Arthvyavastha ka kya karna chahiye? (What should be done about the economy?)” The former bureaucrat ,...

-The Hindu Stimulus MEAsure to link pay to consumer price index with annual revision. Staring at a slump in rural demand and a slowdown in the rural economy, the Centre plans to inject more money into the UPA’s flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme by linking wages under the Act to an updated inflation index, which will be revised annually. It hopes this will increase wages, thus increasing...

-Hindustan Times An audit report by the accountant general has blamed lack of health policy to poor management of various government schemes for food, nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, health, education and overall welfare for AES deaths in Bihar. Bihar does not have a health policy and its budget also does not focus on any specific area of attention in health sector despite the scourge of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) for over a...

-The Hindu Business Line The Finance Ministry has asked the Agriculture Ministry to complete the payout of two instalments of Rs.4,000 to farmers under the PM Kisan scheme by September 30. This is to boost rural demand in the coming festival season. PM Kisan or Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi is an income support scheme. It provides Rs.6,000 in three equal instalments annually. Initially, the coverage was limited to small and marginal...

-PTI Economists at State Bank Research also warned that any attempt to trim government spending to maintain the fiscal numbers will be severely detrimental to growth. Lose-monetary policy alone cannot arrest the deepening slump, instead government must take demand-boosting MEAsures, especially in rural areas, by frontloading expenditure primarily through the national rural employment scheme, says a report. Economists at State Bank Research Monday also warned that any attempt to trim government spending to...