-PTI Potassium iodate, used as a flour treatment agent in making bread, causes cancer The Centre's Ban on the use of potassium bromate as a food additive will reduce risk from cancer-causing chemicals and safeguard public health, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said, on Tuesday, and also sought a Ban on potassium iodate, another chemical used as a flour treatment agent in making bread. "We are happy to know that the...

-PTI The government approved on Wednesday a Rs 6,000-crore special package for textiles and apparel sector to create one crore new jobs in 3 years, attracting investments of $11 billion and generating $30 billion in exports. The measures approved include additional incentives for duty drawback scheme for garments, flexibility in labour laws to increase productivity as well as tax and production incentives for job creation in garment manufacturing. “Over the last few years, apparel...

-Livemint.com In the last decade, the rural constituent has emerged an important factor for overall private final consumption, which forms more than half (55-60% range) of India’s demand side GDP An above-average monsoon is commonly expected to be a key demand driver in 2016-17. Gross domestic product (GDP) forecasts for the year incorporate a revival in rural consumption—a segment that suffered severe setback from two successive years of adverse rainfall. In...

-PTI Chakan (Pune): Environment minister Prakash Javadekar today said the court Ban on 2,000cc and above diesel cars and SUVs in the National Capital Region was "not the right way". Calling it "unfortunate", he said the government was taking measures to curb pollution but the Ban had resulted in vehicles with latest technologies not being allowed while old polluting vehicles were still plying. "I am very sure that courts will also appreciate that...

-The Financial Express Persistence of high food inflation can harden the monetary policy stance and make fiscal choices difficult Food inflation increased to 7.9% in May 2016 as against 4.23% in April. This sudden spurt in food inflation is attributed to vegetable prices, followed by pulses and sugar. Is this a short-term spike or will it be a persistent one? If it is going to be a persistent one with pass-through effects,...