-The Hindu Lender cites high bad loans for drastic move in two States; Marathwada, Vidarbha to be impacted Mumbai: In an unusual move, a state-run lender, Bank of Maharashtra, has decided not to extend loans in eight zones in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh that include Aurangabad, Latur, Akola, and Amravati, which are hit by drought. The bank cited high bad loans from agricultural advances in the branches of these zones for the decision....

-The Hindu Business Line The 60% jump over last year is due to DBT in fertiliser where Rs.39,230 cr was transferred Mumbai: Direct benefit transfer of subsidies in cash and kind crossed the Rs.3-lakh crore mark in 2018-19 to 123.8 crore beneficiaries through over 351-crore transactions. Official data reveals that DBT in both cash and kind amounted to Rs.3,06,260 crore last fiscal, a 60 per cent jump from Rs.1,90,870.9 crore in 2017-18. A significant...

-Livemint.com * Access to electricity is associated with significant improvement in women empowerment, finds a new study * Women's bargaining power increases by 7-10 percentage points because of electrification, says the study Mumbai: In the five years of the Narendra Modi government, India has witnessed near-universal electrification, though the quality of power supply remains sub-standard. Addressing the supply challenge as demand for electricity rapidly increases will be key not only for India’s economic growth...

-PTI Expressing shock over the news report, the MSCW Wednesday issued a notice, in which it directed Beed district collector "to find the truth and act stringently". Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW) has directed Beed district authorities to conduct an inquiry over a news report, which said that women were getting their wombs removed to avoid hindering work and fines due to menstruation. The National Commission for Women (NCW) had...

-The Indian Express Whichever party wins the election, the real long-term challenge is to stem the rot of institutional foundations. The headlines say that the ruling party manifesto emphasises nationalism (“nation first”), and, on the economic front, it will aspire to make India the third-largest economy in the world by the end of the next decade, to make it reach the list of top 50 countries in the ranking of Ease...