-The Hindu Uday Kotak highlights risks of not spending, says a lot will hinge on States’ approach to reopening. India’s economy urgently needs increased fiscal spending from the government to support businesses that have suffered stress from the COVID-19-related disruptions, as well as households and individuals worst hit by the pandemic, CII president Uday Kotak said on Wednesday. “I think the time has come for the fisc [fiscal authorities] to do a lot...

-The Indian Express The study initiated by voluntary researchers at the Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN) indicated that the vulnerabilities experienced by migrant workers during the nationwide lockdown in 2020 had resurfaced this year. Bengaluru: With Covid-19 lockdowns and related restrictions back in many parts of the country, the livelihood of informal workers, especially migrants, has been hit yet again, a recent study found. The study, by voluntary researchers at the Stranded Workers...

-The Indian Express The working group includes Joint Secretaries of the Financial Action Task Force division of Department of Economic Affairs as well as the Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation Division/Combating of Funding of Terrorist Cell in the Ministry of Home Affairs. A NITI Aayog group is working on a national policy to regulate civil society organisations following directions from the Prime Minister’s Office. Constituted in September last year, the Working Group for...

Quite often it is argued by mainstream economists that a sizeable chunk of the Union Budget every year is wasted because the Government spends that on food and fertiliser subsidies. The burgeoning size of these two subsidies relative to the entire budget as well as the gross domestic product (GDP) is often used to build the argument that economic as well as environmental sustainability of the country is at stake...

-The Hindu Joe Biden, who won the 2020 presidential race, could take the U.S. back to the leadership position in the fight against climate change The U.S. could become the leader in the world’s quest to avert dangerous climate change under a Joe Biden presidency, marking a return to global cooperation and reversing President Donald Trump’s isolationist rejection of efforts to cut carbon emissions. On November 4, a year after serving notice, and...