-The Economic Times Food inflation in India, as measured by food articles price index, has averaged 11.3% for the period FY 2008-09 to December 2012, with a maximum of 15.6% in 2010-11 and minimum of 7.3% in 2011-12. In December 2012, wheat prices stood 23% higher than in December 2011, and rice prices 17% higher in the same period. Although this spurt in wheat and rice prices in the face of...

-Business Today What does the proposed food security law mean for the government's finances? Most days, around half a dozen middleaged men in Tamil Nadu's Nemam village head for a slushy pond. They are farm labourers who have had little work for the past few months because of a drought in their Tiruvarur district. As an alternative they catch fish, but the income from it is not enough to survive on. "But...

-PTI In a stern warning to those not paying taxes, the income tax department on Monday said it is sending letters to 35,170 PAN (permanent account number) holders in the first phase for not filing returns and will take appropriate follow up action. There are over 12 lakh PAN holders who had not filed income tax returns, the department said, adding it has set up a nodal cell to monitor such cases. "In...

-The Times of India In a relief to yoga guru Ramdev, the Delhi High Court on Monday ordered de-freezing of 11 bank accounts of Patanjali Yogpeeth Nyas, sealed by the Income Tax department after the Trust allegedly failed to pay the first installment of Rs 75 lakh of the total tax of Rs 34.68 crore. "We direct the attachment order (of bank accounts) be lifted subject to petitioner (Patanjali Yogpeeth Nyas) paying...

-The Business Standard Nobody will believe Finance Ministry data that only 400,000 Indians earn more than Rs 20 lakh a year I had barely finished my lecture in support of Tax on Super Rich, when this gentleman sprang up from the audience and asked me how the finance ministry will define “Super Rich” in India. I managed to answer his question by reminding him that certain issues should be left to the...