-The Hindu Business Line Because they are wealthier and have a lower population than northern States New Delhi: The southern States are less dependent on transfers from the Centre than many of their northern peers, but a cut in transfers could leave their fiscal situation precariously poised and upset some of their expenditure plans. That is exactly what they fear will happen when the 15th Finance Commission uses the 2011 population data —...

-News18.com In an interview with News18’s Rupashree Nanda, Dreze, who was a member of Sonia Gandhi’s National Advisory Council and an architect of the National Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), says that there have been no major initiatives in the social field in the last four years, with the partial exception of Swachh Bharat. Government data reveal that the Indian economy is growing at a robust rate but noted economist Jean Dreze believes...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Traffic jams, parking problems, app-based cabs, online shopping and fast-spreading metro networks have resulted in car sales starting to fall in big cities, something many hoped for but few expected to become a reality. City-specific numbers accessed by TOI from industry sources show car sales dropped 20 per cent in Mumbai in 2017-18—97,274 cars sold during the year versus 1.22 lakh in the previous year. Bangalore,...

-Livemint.com For the first time during the tenure of the present government, overall inflation of food articles is negative, implying a decline in prices Last week the India Meteorological Department (IMD) presented its first forecast for the monsoon this year. The forecast at 97% of the long period average (LPA) suggested yet a third year of normal monsoon rains, following 2016 and 2017. This should have ideally brought cheer to farmers struggling...

-Livemint.com Use of population figures from 2011 census instead of 1971 census for sharing tax revenue among states triggers opposition from South India New Delhi: A political storm is brewing in South India over what is normally a largely unnoticed bureaucratic exercise undertaken once in five years to determine how India distributes its pooled tax revenues among its many states. Several chief ministers and opposition leaders of southern states have expressed vehement opposition...