The sixth central Pay Commission is examining the feasibility of introducing performance-linked salaries for government employees. The commission has constituted a study group headed by Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad Professor Biju Varkkey to develop a model on these lines.The study group has submitted interim reports and is expected to send its final report soon.
The high level of capital inflows has forced the government to put fresh restrictions on ECBs. In August this year, the Reserve Bank of India tightened ECB rules by limiting the use of foreign loans in India at $20 million per company.
The two groups have another JV, Wadia BSN, set up in 1996 to launch Groupe Danone's products from its global portfolio. However, nothing has been launched through the JV till date and Danone is in negotiations with the Wadias to dissolve the JV.
South India relatively insulated from the increase in prices.
The Reserve Bank of India is in favour of a cautious and gradual approach to financial sector reforms rather than a big-bang approach, as advocated by the Percy Mistry Committee report on making Mumbai an international financial centre.
The ordinance will raise the eligibility limit of bonus payments to those who earn Rs 10,000 a month as basic salary and dearness allowance, from the earlier cut-off of Rs 6,000 a month.
Anticipating elections, the United Progressive Alliance government plans to introduce an ordinance to relax the rules on the payment of bonus by the private sector and the Central government ahead of the festival season.
The finance ministry had strongly opposed the hike announced by the commerce ministry.
In order to expedite the implementation of the Parekh Committee's recommendations on infrastructure financing, the finance ministry has decided to pursue a few key issues instead of taking up the whole report.
The Planning Commission is considering a hike in public sector investment in the farm sector to 4 per cent of agricultural gross domestic product towards the end of the 11th Plan (2007-12).
Insurance companies will have more infrastructure firms in their equity investment portfolio soon.
This year's projected increase in per capita (in dollar terms) is nearly double the average 13 per cent growth between 2003-04 and 2006-07.
The Reserve Bank of India has opposed Finance Minister P Chidambaram's budget proposal to use part of the foreign exchange reserves of over $200 billion to provide "credit wrap," or credit guarantee insurance, for financing infrastructure projects.
Finance ministry officials are of the view that current restrictions that prohibit FDI in multi-brand retail cannot be extended to franchise agreements between an Indian company and an overseas partner.
Social sectors like health and education will get a leg up in the Eleventh Plan (2007-12), even as some other sectors may see a reduction in fund allocation.
India's GDP growth is likely to slow down over the next couple of years as a result of restrictive policies -- manifested as higher interest rates and fiscal tightening -- aimed at curbing inflation, a World Bank report has said.
The Indian economy may match the economies of the Association of South East Asian Nations in size by 2015, but in terms of labour productivity it will trail this grouping of 10 nations by a little under 20 per cent
The government is planning to provide collateral-free loan up to Rs 1.50 lakh to farmers through the Kisan Credit Card scheme.
Apprehending a slowdown in the growth of the economy due to the hardening of interest rates, the appreciating rupee and falling tariffs, the government has decided to set up a group to discuss the impact of these changes.
Companies that have been reluctant to share their production and sales data with the government for calculation of various indices will now be forced to do so.