-The Hindu Country enters technical recession. India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted 7.5% in the second quarter of 2020-21, following the record 23.9% decline recorded in the first quarter, as per estimates released by the National Statistical Office on Friday. The country has now entered a technical recession with two successive quarters of negative growth. However, the economy’s performance between July and September when lockdown Restrictions were eased is better than most rating...

-Hindustan Times Paharganj, once a bustling, thriving market whose entire economy depends on foreign tourists, is a microcosm of the devastation caused by the ongoing coronavirus crisis in the capital’s tourism sector. Satyam Bhatnagar runs a handicrafts shop in Paharganj’s main bazar, a backpackers’ paradise that boasts of hundreds of touristy establishments such as money changers, hotels, rooftop Restaurants, tour operators, and handicrafts shops selling a range of stone and wood sculptures,...

-The Hindu * When does the Reserve Bank of India intervene, and what are some of the key steps it takes? The story so far: On November 17, the Centre, acting on the recommendation of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), imposed a moratorium on Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) for a period of 30 days. The 94-year-old bank, based in Karur, Tamil Nadu, has been struggling with losses for three years. As...

-The Hindu The circumstances under which New Delhi had distanced itself from the RCEP negotiations have hardly improved Last week, 15 East Asian countries agreed to take their economic integration several notches higher by forging the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the largest free trade agreement (FTA) ever. In 2019, RCEP members accounted for about 30% of world output and population and 28% of world trade. But more importantly, about 44% of...

-Livemint.com Govt notifies draft rules of labour code on Occupational Safety and Health, concerns remain New Delhi: The Union government on Friday notified the draft rules of the labour code on occupational safety and working condition, which promise an appointment letter to all employees, single registration and return filing for firms, a safety committee in big companies, and travel allowances to a segment of migrants, among other things. The draft rules are, however,...