-The Hindu Business Line Recent macro data hint at delayed second-order impacts from note ban Did the Indian economy suffer only temporary hiccups from the abrupt withdrawal of high-value currency notes in November 2016? Until recently, the Government and quite a few commentators were convinced that it did. Macro-economic data releases such as the first advance GDP estimates (which retained real gross value added, or GVA, growth at 7 per cent for...

-The Asian Age The NGOs have warned against treating poor children across the state as guinea pigs, putting their health at risk. Mumbai: Instead of providing hot cooked, nutritious meals to malnourished kids, the state women and child welfare department  has recently decided to purchase corporate-manufactured ‘ready to use therapeutic food (RUTF)’ packets for severely malnourished children across Maharashtra. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on August 4, permitting the use...

-Hindustan Times India’s wholesale price index-based inflation flared up to two-and-a-half years high of 6.55% in February from 5.25% in January mainly due to a spurt in mineral and fuel prices while food prices started rising following rapid remonetisation. The spurt in WPI inflation adds to the worries of a pent up demand after demonetisation which may prompt Reserve Bank of India to keep policy interest rates unchanged for some more months. The...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: India's wholesale inflation saw a sharp rise in January owing to costlier fuel and power even as food items continued to remain cheaper. Data released by commerce and industry ministry on Tuesday showed WPI inflation at 5.25% compared with 3.39% in December. Fuel and power inflation rose 18.14% in January from 8.65% in December. WPI inflation in Manufactured Products, which has a 64.97% weight in the index, increased...

-The Hindu The unorganised manufacturing sector should be reoriented towards non-household units to provide efficiency gains. Ever since E.F. Schumacher, a British economist, published in 1973 his book Small is Beautiful, implying that small units are better in terms of performance indicators and labour absorption, several studies have endorsed the same idea and argued in favour of promoting small units. Stretching the argument a little further, it may be emphasised that small...