Ruchika Chitravanshi, Sanjeeb Mukherjee, Nivedita Mookerji

Stories by Ruchika Chitravanshi, Sanjeeb Mukherjee, Nivedita Mookerji

Are Wealthy Indians Paying Less Tax?

Are Wealthy Indians Paying Less Tax?

Rediff.com   25 Jan 2023

While movie stars like Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan are among the top I-T payers, very few of the wealthiest Indians figure on the list.

Budget 2023: PMAY-G May Get A Big Push

Budget 2023: PMAY-G May Get A Big Push

Rediff.com   19 Jan 2023

It may plan a significant hike in budgetary support aimed at completing the balance 8.4 million dwellings by March 2024.

Doctors want govt to allow 4th booster

Doctors want govt to allow 4th booster

Rediff.com   4 Jan 2023

'The protective effect of the vaccine lasts for about nine months to a year.' 'For health workers that period is already over. This is the right time to augment their immunity.'

Indians Not Taking Booster Covid Vaccine

Indians Not Taking Booster Covid Vaccine

Rediff.com   30 Dec 2022

Less than 30,000 booster doses daily in December.

Covid fears in China may have cascading impact on India's exports, imports

Covid fears in China may have cascading impact on India's exports, imports

Rediff.com   30 Dec 2022

The importance of China as India's top trading partner cannot be understated.

Mask Up, Covid Is Not Over Yet

Mask Up, Covid Is Not Over Yet

Rediff.com   22 Dec 2022

'If there are any symptoms/variants of concern, states can prepare accordingly.'

In 'white gold' rush, India starts talks with lithium-rich nations

In 'white gold' rush, India starts talks with lithium-rich nations

Rediff.com   13 Dec 2022

To ramp up domestic battery manufacturing capacity and reduce the dependence on imports, the government has initiated talks with a few lithium-rich countries to supply the mineral to Indian companies, industry sources informed Business Standard. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) held a meeting with the ambassadors of countries, including Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia, among others, to put forth its request.

Centre seeks info from embassy on Iran's bar on rice, tea imports

Centre seeks info from embassy on Iran's bar on rice, tea imports

Rediff.com   8 Dec 2022

The department of commerce has urged the agriculture ministry as well as the diplomatic mission in Tehran to apprise it of details as to why Iranian buyers have stopped import of rice and tea from India, a senior government official said. Exporters said that exports of items such as high quality tea and rice have stopped since last week. As of now, there has been no confirmation from the authorities and the response from the embassy in Tehran is also taking time, they said.

Sunflower oil shipments to India from Russia, Ukraine return to normal

Sunflower oil shipments to India from Russia, Ukraine return to normal

Rediff.com   6 Dec 2022

Shipments of sunflower oil to India have started normalising after imports from war-torn Ukraine resumed beginning September after a gap of four months, leading to further normalisation of supplies. Ukraine has been the largest supplier of sunflower oil to India. However, after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out in February, supplies from Ukraine dwindled as Russia denied it access to the Black Sea ports.

IMD forecasts warm winter, crop yields likely to feel the heat this year

IMD forecasts warm winter, crop yields likely to feel the heat this year

Rediff.com   2 Dec 2022

Brace for some warmth this winter as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its December-February forecast on Thursday said that the minimum and maximum temperatures could remain 'normal' to 'above normal' over most parts of Northwest and Northeast India. Both the minimum and maximum will remain below normal in Southern Peninsular and Central India in these winter months. While this could give some respite from the intense cold of North India, it could have a negative impact on the standing rabi crops if the temperature rise is unusual and abnormal.

Guidelines to improve quality control at audit firms in place

Guidelines to improve quality control at audit firms in place

Rediff.com   21 Nov 2022

The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) has issued guidelines to inspect select audit firms to identify areas and opportunities for improvement in the audit firm's system of quality control, a statement said. "Inspections will consist firm-wide review of audit quality and individual file reviews on test-check basis to evaluate the level of compliance with applicable auditing standards and quality control policy and processes," NFRA said. The selection of the audit firm or the auditor for such inspection by NFRA would be based on assessment of risks in the audit environment.

Why India Inc is moving to Dubai in droves

Why India Inc is moving to Dubai in droves

Rediff.com   7 Nov 2022

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani might have made news for purchasing the most expensive beach-side villa in Dubai recently, but he is not the only Indian eyeing the city for investment. Since Dubai allowed foreign investors full ownership in specific sectors in June 2021, a horde of Indian companies have moved or expanded into the desert city. The list even includes a kindergarten, an elementary and middle school, and a hotel that has sought 100 per cent ownership.

Glitches in MCA portal: CAs, CS seek extension in annual filing deadline

Glitches in MCA portal: CAs, CS seek extension in annual filing deadline

Rediff.com   1 Nov 2022

In a multi-city protest on Monday, a large number of company secretaries (CS) and chartered accountants (CAs) came together to seek extension of the deadline for annual filing due to glitches in the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) portal. According to the Companies Act, firms are supposed to submit Form AOC 4 for filing of the balance sheet within 30 days of holding the annual general meeting (AGM). This deadline was over on October 29.

GEAC clears environmental release of GM mustard

GEAC clears environmental release of GM mustard

Rediff.com   27 Oct 2022

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has recommended the environmental release of the genetically modified (GM) mustard variety DMH (Dhara Mustard Hybrid)-11, paving the way for the commercialisation of the country's first GM food crop. The GEAC said the recommendation was valid for four years from the date the approval letter was issued. Further studies and coordinated trials will have to be conducted jointly with the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) within two years, according to the minutes of the GEAC meeting held on October 18, which was released on Wednesday.

Reduce sugar production, focus on ethanol: Gadkari tells sugar mills

Reduce sugar production, focus on ethanol: Gadkari tells sugar mills

Rediff.com   22 Sep 2022

Increasing sugar production shall create problems for the industry, whereas boosting ethanol output can bring rich returns, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari told sugar mills on Wednesday. Speaking at a conference on sugar and ethanol, organised by the Indian Sugar Mills Association, Gadkari surprised the audience comprising senior executives of sugar mills by stating that the future will become bleak for the industry if it continues to churn out high quantities of sugar. "We need more ethanol than sugar. Also, bio-ethanol is the way to go as it can be stored for a longer duration as compared to conventional ethanol. "If you increase sugar production, it will create more problems for you.

Monsoon may finally start withdrawing in next three days, says IMD

Monsoon may finally start withdrawing in next three days, says IMD

Rediff.com   19 Sep 2022

The southwest monsoon might finally start withdrawing from parts of North-West India over the next three days, signaling the end of its four-month journey over the country that started in June, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. However, though the retreat might begin from next week, the rains might not descend quickly, as the met department predicted fresh spells of rains in Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and east MP on September 21-22 and over Odisha, Coastal areas north Andhra Pradesh and Gangetic West Bengal on September 19-21. "Due to anti-cyclonic flows over northwest India at lower tropospheric levels, dry weather is very likely over west Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi during the next five days. "Hence conditions are becoming favourable for the withdrawal of Southwest Monsoon from parts of northwest India during next three days," the IMD said.

Inflation eats into India's rural demand while green shoots become visible

Inflation eats into India's rural demand while green shoots become visible

Rediff.com   11 Aug 2022

In May, Satpal Singh, who runs a dairy business with three buffaloes in Jewar, near Noida, was worried about the steep spike in input costs. Singh said dry fodder rates, which cost Rs 1,500-2000 per tractor trolley last year, were quoting at Rs 4,500-5,000. The price of other cattle feed ingredients (that include mustard meal and similar mixes) had also gone up from Rs 2,000 per quintal to Rs 3,100-3,200 per quintal.

Monsoon may see a brief lull in already-deficient states

Monsoon may see a brief lull in already-deficient states

Rediff.com   11 Aug 2022

After becoming active over the rice-growing Indo-Gangetic plains, the southwest monsoon might witness weak phase for the next 3-4 days over the already rain-deficient region. So far, the main deficit states are Uttar Pradesh (-42 per cent), Bihar (-36 per cent), Jharkhand (-48 per cent), and West Bengal (-24 per cent). According to private weather forecasting agency Skymet, rains in west UP, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, and Jharkhand are expected to be weak in the next 3-4 days before again picking pace.

India's plan to produce ethanol from 2G sources delayed

India's plan to produce ethanol from 2G sources delayed

Rediff.com   10 Aug 2022

India's plan to produce ethanol from second-generation (2G) sources -- mainly farm waste -- is taking time to materialise even as the government is set to dedicate to the nation on Wednesday a Rs 900-crore plant set up by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) in Panipat. Though state-run oil companies had decided to set up at least 12 plants in 2016-17 with an investment of around Rs 10,000 crore, this will be the first unit coming on track while others are stuck in various stages owing to issues like capital expenditure, lack of feedstock, and high rates of finished products compared to traditional ethanol units. According to industry sources, three more second-generation plants are coming up.

Falling paddy acreage sparks concerns

Falling paddy acreage sparks concerns

Rediff.com   9 Aug 2022

The area under paddy - the biggest foodgrain during the kharif season - was almost 13 per cent lower in the week ended August 5 as compared to the same period last year despite a slight pick-up in rains in the main growing regions, triggering fears of a 10-12 million-tonne drop in final output. Sources said with the peak sowing season for paddy almost coming to an end in the big-growing states, any uptick in coverage from here onwards may not give the desired yields. With 30 per cent of normal average area in which paddy is grown every year remaining unsown till early August, there is a limited chance of a big uptick in output, trade and market sources said.