-Newsclick.in Offtake from the Public Distribution System is stagnating although there are millions who need more food. Cereal stocks of wheat, rice and coarse grains maintained in the so-called central pool hit an all-time high of 742 lakh tonnes in July this year and in August were only slightly lower at 713 lakh tonnes, according to the department of food and public distribution’s monthly bulletin. Compared with 2015, grains stocks have zoomed...

Among the measures announced by the Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman on 23rd August, 2019 to arrest economic downturn, the following are noteworthy: * Allow Bharat Stage IV (BS-IV) vehicles (which are purchased till 31st March, 2020) to remain operational for the entire period of registration; * Government shall lift the ban on purchase of new vehicles for replacing all old vehicles by its various departments; *...

-Newsclick.in Allowing 100% FDI in coal mining is raising apprehensions that foreign companies will now ‘plunder’ mineral resources for commercial purposes for sale in the open market. The Narendra Modi government’s decision to allow 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in coal mining has been opposed by the Left on the ground it would enable multinational mining companies to “plunder” the country’s mineral resources. Those supporting the move, however, argue that foreign investment in...

-PTI Currency in circulation jumped a hefty 17% to Rs 21.10 lakh crore as of March 2019, the Reserve Bank of India said in its annual report for 2019. Mumbai: Despite many an effort to shift to digital payments and usher in a ‘less cash’ economy post-demonetisation, the currency in circulation has jumped by a hefty 17% to Rs 21.10 lakh crore as of March 2019, the Reserve Bank says in its...

-Newsclick.in It’s just a parlour trick to disguise financing of government spending that does not appear in the formal Budget. We all know by now, that economic activity in this country has come to a grinding halt. That’s not just bad for our earnings, but also for the Government of India (GoI). Because, when people don’t buy or sell things, or even produce them, the government doesn’t get enough taxes. So, economists...