Nivedita Mookerji And Nitin Sethi

Stories by Nivedita Mookerji And Nitin Sethi

Why 'country of origin' clause may turn out to be a big farce

Why 'country of origin' clause may turn out to be a big farce

Rediff.com   3 Aug 2020

A hot sale of a Chinese product, whether assembled in India or anywhere else in the world, may make the country of origin rule fall by the wayside. Moreover, its execution is challenging for businesses as there are no clear guidelines or definitions from the authorities on what constitutes 'country of origin'.

'Corona is a wake up call for all of us'

'Corona is a wake up call for all of us'

Rediff.com   23 May 2020

'I'm not surprised with what's happening in India,' 'Tiger' Tyagarajan tells Nivedita Mookerji.

What Telecom Man reveals about India's business-politics links

What Telecom Man reveals about India's business-politics links

Rediff.com   16 May 2020

'It's the brazen corruption involving politicians that makes you sit up years after the event,' notes Nivedita Mookerji after reading B K Syngal's Telecom Man.

Does Modi have a coronavirus war room?

Does Modi have a coronavirus war room?

Rediff.com   23 Apr 2020

Nivedita Mookerji goes in search of the elusive war room to track and respond to the coronavirus threat.

Why did e-commerce services get choked in India?

Why did e-commerce services get choked in India?

Rediff.com   9 Apr 2020

A single format and simpler, uniform rules would have kept the service going. In other parts of the world including in the US, managing demand and capacities along with ensuring preventive measures were an issue, but there was hardly any administrative hurdle anywhere.

To keep essentials flowing Centre widens grocery inclusions

To keep essentials flowing Centre widens grocery inclusions

Rediff.com   4 Apr 2020

In the last one week several companies have had to face the hurdle of making a distinction between what's essential and what's not. To help them the government has now clarified that grocery would include hygiene products such as hand wash, soaps, disinfectants, body wash, shampoo, surface cleaners, detergents, tissue paper, toothpaste, oral care, sanitary pads, diapers, chargers and battery cells, etc.

India Post calls to say you've got mail

India Post calls to say you've got mail

Rediff.com   30 Mar 2020

Changing with the times and in compliance with social distancing norms, customers are now picking up their parcels, speed posts and registered letters within the city themselves after they are informed on phone.

'Yeh BBC Hai'. You won't hear these words from Feb 1

'Yeh BBC Hai'. You won't hear these words from Feb 1

Rediff.com   31 Jan 2020

For 80 years, news and views aired on BBC Hindi reached audiences in the remotest parts of the country. For millions of its followers, the signature line -'yeh BBC hai (this is BBC)' -- has been like a morning alarm, and the bulletins a vital link between India and the world. That link, which began when there was no mobile phone or internet, is about to break as the radio service will fall silent after January 31. And for many living in smaller towns and in rural areas, life won't be the same again, writes Nivedita Mookerji.

Apple may finally dip its toes in Indian retail pool

Apple may finally dip its toes in Indian retail pool

Rediff.com   10 Sep 2019

Still, the earliest India will get to experience Apple online will be early 2020 and the company's first fully-owned signature store should be up around 2022 -- almost two decades after it had opened its first store worldwide, writes Nivedita Mookerji.

The 'invisible observer': Ravinder Takkar takes charge of Vodafone Idea

The 'invisible observer': Ravinder Takkar takes charge of Vodafone Idea

Rediff.com   30 Aug 2019

A Vodafone Group insider with more than 25 years in the telco across geographies, he's like the eyes and ears of the multinational in India.

CAG audit of GST reveals systemic flaws, not just glitches

CAG audit of GST reveals systemic flaws, not just glitches

Rediff.com   28 Aug 2019

The CAG audit and other data suggests it could be far from the efficient new alternative that was once conceptualised. A conclusive review remains elusive till the government begins to release more granular and comparable data on the complex backend of GST to a deeper scrutiny, by researchers, auditors and the public.

'Climate change could push up cereal prices by 29%'

'Climate change could push up cereal prices by 29%'

Rediff.com   16 Jul 2019

A report authored by UN's panel of scientists from across the world on climate change and sent to the governments of 197 countries has ominous news on the climate change front.

PAN cards not linked to Aadhaar will be cancelled from Sep 1

PAN cards not linked to Aadhaar will be cancelled from Sep 1

Rediff.com   11 Jul 2019

To validate and continue using the existing PAN cards, citizens will have to link them to Aadhaar. Or else, they will be permitted to use Aadhaar instead for filing returns and while making other high-value transactions, specified under the Income Tax Act.

Budget 2019 - Is the Rs 6.63 trillion GST target too ambitious?

Budget 2019 - Is the Rs 6.63 trillion GST target too ambitious?

Rediff.com   8 Jul 2019

A well-established tax system would have a predictable buoyancy - how fast the collections grow as a proportion to the growth of the economy. But that is not the case with GST. It is still undergoing substantial changes as the government responds to structural as well as administrative glitches.

How Haryana govt helped Patanjali to buy lands illegally

How Haryana govt helped Patanjali to buy lands illegally

Rediff.com   24 Jun 2019

When agricultural holdings get fragmented over years, the state government has the power to step in and help farmers pool their land parcels for improving land productivity, after which the pooled land is divided up into larger plots. Instead of the fragments they hold, a farmer gets a single contiguous patch of an equal size. But, it is done only for agricultural holdings. In Kot village, however, the consolidation has been ordered for the entire village land, including the hilly forested commons, which are already pooled. This is not the first time that the Haryana government has attempted such a consolidation of Kot common lands.

Patanjali's maze of firms that do shady land dealing in Haryana

Patanjali's maze of firms that do shady land dealing in Haryana

Rediff.com   21 Jun 2019

Restricted by state government orders, the ownership of such land could not be formally registered, so the advances made continued to be reflected in the accounts as 'advances against land'.

How Patanjali 'broke' laws to acquire land in Aravalli hills

How Patanjali 'broke' laws to acquire land in Aravalli hills

Rediff.com   19 Jun 2019

The land acquisition, the consolidation process in Kot and a slew of other decisions by the Haryana government to open the hills to privatisation and commercial activity run contrary to court orders, environmentalists' demand, and at times the Union government's measures to protect the Aravalli hills, say Nitin Sethi & Kumar Sambhav Shrivastava.

Reimagining environmental governance won't be easy

Reimagining environmental governance won't be easy

Rediff.com   30 May 2019

Successive governments focused on altering the clearance processes but largely gave a pass to the second, and essential, element of environmental regulations for monitoring pollution levels and how industries followed conditions laid down for clearances.

Realty hits green hurdle as NDA's reforms end up in court

Realty hits green hurdle as NDA's reforms end up in court

Rediff.com   16 May 2019

The ease with which city-level master plans are altered and land-use patterns changed without considering carrying capacities or the overall environmental footprint of urbanisation in different states has already created water and air pollution crises in several emerging and existing cities.

Didi or BJP: Who will win Bengal?

Didi or BJP: Who will win Bengal?

Rediff.com   12 May 2019

BJP hopes to win 23 seats; TMC all of Bengal's 42 seats.