Indian traders reject FDI in multi-brand retail and emphasise the need for a policy to regulate the labour-intensive sector. TRADERS across the country responded angrily to the Union Cabinet's decision to allow 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail trade, disproving the arguments of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and the assessment of corporate India, which had tried hard to make it appear that traders and...

India will resist any attempt by developed countries to take away the right of World Trade Organisation (WTO)-member nations to restrict export of food items and raise import tariffs beyond existing levels.  Trade ministers of WTO-member countries are meeting in Geneva on Thursday to try and identify issues that can be discussed till the US presidential elections are over next year.  The meeting is also likely to take up proposals to "cherry-pick"...

Despite criticism of the appointment process, and pendency , the Supreme Court appears to enjoy public confidence like no other institution As the Supreme Court of India approaches its final week of hearings for the year, a look back shows it has dominated the national consciousness by ruling on myriad issues. The court was conceived by the framers of the constitution to deal mainly with fundamental questions of law. But India’s top...

U.P.'s GDP grew at 7.28 per cent in the past five years, but the State ranks low in virtually every area of socio-economic development. IF statistics on gross domestic product (GDP) are the only criteria to evaluate the performance of a government, the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government in Uttar Pradesh will have to be rated as one with highly impressive credentials. For, India's most populous State has recorded a...

Just ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Moscow, Russia lashed out at protests against the Kudankulam nuclear power project saying that the disruptions may have been stage managed by its rivals. Russia's ambassador to India Alexander M Kadakin said Russian authorities had "great suspicion" about the events at Kudankulum, where the final stage before commissioning of two power plants built with Russian cooperation has been on hold due to...