-Livemint.com Correcting import-duty anomalies will attract foreign firms to set up assembly bases here and lift our global competitiveness A steady decline in import tariff rates in manufacturing industries had been an important feature of India’s economic reforms during the 1990s and 2000s. The average import tariff rate was reduced from about 84% in 1990 to the lowest-ever level of 8.6% in 2010. Consequently, imports of goods plus services as a percentage...

-IDROnline.org Agriculture value-chains can only be strengthened by listening to multiple actors; most importantly, farmers. India has been witnessing a spate of month-long farmer protests across the country, particularly in the national capital, against the recently introduced farm bills by the central government. One of the major reasons behind these agitations, including calls for repealing the law, is that farmers were not actively involved in the policymaking cycle of these laws, which...

-Down to Earth Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest coverage but a decrease since last survey Health insurance coverage increased in the past five years in a majority of the Indian states and union territories but still remained well below half the population in most of them, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). As many as 15 of the 22 states and UTs surveyed showed an increase in the health coverage....

-Moneylife.in While highlighting the need for proactive building up of adequate capital for banks to withstand possible asset quality deterioration, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has warned that the gross non-performing assets (GNPAs) of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) may escalate to 14.8% under a severe stress scenario. In its financial stability report (FSR), the central bank says, "Macro stress tests incorporating the first advance estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) for...

-Down to Earth Stunting among children below five did not improve at all; child obesity increased across several states Chronic malnutrition or stunting among children below five years did not improve at all while acute undernourishment or wasting worsened in the last half-a-decade in a majority of the surveyed states and Union territories (UT), according to the latest round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). Child obesity also increased in several states. The...