-The Indian Express If India’s overwhelming goal is to become a $5 trillion economy within a few years, there is no reason to pay attention to children. But if it is development in the full sense of the term, then child development is paramount. Leaving aside two or three countries like Niger and Yemen, India has the highest proportion of underweight children in the world: a full 36 per cent according to...

-Livemint.com * SBI saw total wilful defaults rise by around ₹14,000 crore in the six months to September to ₹58,475 crore *ICICI Bank is the only outlier when seen on a standalone basis, with wilful defaults falling 0.2% Eight of India’s biggest banks have seen a significant jump in wilful defaults in the six months to September, with such loans rising by over ₹37,000 crore to ₹1.5 trillion, shows data on suit-filed accounts...

-The Indian Express Post 2014, two centralisations — of political and economic power — continue to reinforce each other, with profound consequences for the country and potential to define popular narrative in days ahead. The return of single-party dominance and its implications for politics after nearly 25 years of minority/coalition governments at the Centre (December 1989-April 2014) has been widely commented upon. As have concerns over rising corporate market power and their...

-Livemint.com/ PTI * 'Despite being the worst affected sector in Q1(due to lockdown), it is quite puzzling how manufacturing turned itself around in Q2,' says Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Adviser, SBI * There is evidence of inventory buildup that could act as a drag on future manufacturing growth, says Ghosh New Delhi: The surprise resilience shown by the manufacturing sector that restricted GDP contraction to only 7.5 per cent in September...

-The Indian Express Each sex worker will receive Rs 5,000 per month along with three kg of wheat and two kg of rice. Mumbai: To cope with the effects of the lockdown, the Maharashtra government has decided to give financial aid and 5-kg ration to 5,600 sex workers of Mumbai every month till the Covid-19 pandemic is over. But even as Maharashtra became the first state in October to issue a government resolution...