-The Business Standard Wholesale prices of edible oils have risen 40% since Oct 15; pulses and wheat have surged 4.62% and 8.33%, respectively These could still be early signs, but it appears the breather on food inflation that India has been enjoying for some time is going to end. Following a sharp reduction in production estimates, prices of key agricultural commodities have risen over the past three weeks. According to data from the...
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Wrong numbers: Attack on NREGA is misleading
-The Times of India Jagdish Bhagwati and Arvind Panagariya, hereafter BP, have argued for phasing out the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in favour of cash transfers ("Rural Inefficiency Act", ToI, 23 October). It's surprising-and amusing-that two eminent economists have chosen to make a case based on prior beliefs and some sophomoric wordplay ('mis'leading economists), rather than on the available evidence. A survey by one of us of the empirical literature...
More »NRIs filed 78% of the patent pleas in India -Sushmi Dey
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: India registered the third highest rate for patent filings by non-residents at 78% of the total applications, ahead of China at 18%, Japan at 16% and the US at 50%, the latest data from the Indian patent office showed. Canada and Brazil topped the list with 86.6% and 84%, respectively. Officials opine this is an indicator of lack of awareness amongst the domestic industry as well...
More »War within government on climate change -Chetan Chauhan
-The Hindustan Times A day after G-20 sherpa Suresh Prabhu said that India should not align with China on climate issues, the government distanced itself from his view with environment minister Prakash Javadekar saying it was his "personal" opinion. Prabhu comments had led to speculation that India may break away from the Basic group that has India and China with South Africa and Brazil. Javadekar refused to either confirm or deny reiterating...
More »New hepatitis drug to cost more in middle income nations; activists cry foul -Jyotsna Singh
-Down to Earth Pharma company's strategy of different prices for different countries to affect quality treatment of 185 million people infected with Hepatitis C worldwide Health activists and agencies on Tuesday criticised leading pharmaceutical company BRIstol-Myers Squibb (BMS)'s commercial strategy to sell new Hepatitis C medicine Daclatasvir, stating it would exclude a large number of patients who cannot afford expensive treatment. BMS had announced that it would create a tiered pricing strategy for...
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