Somesh Jha And Sanjeeb Mukherjee

Stories by Somesh Jha And Sanjeeb Mukherjee

Why high food inflation is good news for the farmer

Why high food inflation is good news for the farmer

Rediff.com   14 Jan 2020

While rising food inflation is a matter of grave concern for a significant chunk of the population and for policy makers as well, it marks a turnaround in the fortunes of the farmer, reports Sanjeeb Mukherjee.

Farm growth likely to remain subdued at 2.8% in FY20

Farm growth likely to remain subdued at 2.8% in FY20

Rediff.com   8 Jan 2020

A pick-up in farmer income could have a cascading impact on the rural economy, though agriculture is becoming a smaller part of India's overall rural incomes.

JNU fallout: Professor quits statistics panel

JNU fallout: Professor quits statistics panel

Rediff.com   7 Jan 2020

C P Chandrasekhar, who has served on key statistical panels in the past both as a chairman and member, said he was present in the campus when the ruckus broke out on Sunday and found the incident "disturbing" and "unprecedented", and that it further undermined the faith in the system. Somesh Jha reports.

Modi to review ministries' work in quest for turnaround

Modi to review ministries' work in quest for turnaround

Rediff.com   3 Jan 2020

Starting today, Modi and top officials in the Prime Minister's Office will be briefed by various central ministries and departments on their plans as well as agenda for the next five years. They will also apprise the PMO of the work they have done so far in realising the agenda of government's second term in office.

FinMin counters RBI, says stress in banking sector declining

FinMin counters RBI, says stress in banking sector declining

Rediff.com   29 Dec 2019

The net NPA ratio declined to 3.7 per cent in September 2019 from just below 4 per cent in March 2019, reflecting increased provisioning.

CBI told to use director identification number in notices to bankers

CBI told to use director identification number in notices to bankers

Rediff.com   29 Dec 2019

This, said Sitharaman, would remove the possibility of unauthorised communication "and consequent harassment", which was a cause of concern for bankers.

Govt for UPA-style bailout of NBFCs

Govt for UPA-style bailout of NBFCs

Rediff.com   26 Dec 2019

In 2009, the UPA government, had announced a slew of measures to boost liquidity in NBFCs. These included a scheme for providing liquidity support to NBFCs having assets size of over Rs 100 crore through a SPV.

Modi, team to start pre-Budget consultations next week

Modi, team to start pre-Budget consultations next week

Rediff.com   14 Dec 2019

In the 2020-21 Budget, the prime minister and the finance minister are keen to stamp their narrative, after various rollbacks following the previous Budget, said top government sources. Besides the scheduled meetings, the sources said, the Prime Minister's Office is expected to hold several meetings with top secretaries and officials on various ongoing schemes, their performance and also how some of them could be tweaked for better results.

State-run banks come to the rescue of MSMEs

State-run banks come to the rescue of MSMEs

Rediff.com   11 Dec 2019

Banks will also consider requests from MSMEs for restructuring their stressed standard assets. So far, only 25 per cent of the around 1 million eligible MSMEs have taken benefit of the RBI's special dispensation.

Gig economy workers may now get insurance cover under ESIC scheme

Gig economy workers may now get insurance cover under ESIC scheme

Rediff.com   5 Dec 2019

Gig workers are usually spoken of in the context of the sharing economy, like Uber, Ola drivers, delivery persons for Zomato and Swiggy and so on. This is the first time such workers will be covered under India's social security law.

Centre halves onion stock holding limit for retailers

Centre halves onion stock holding limit for retailers

Rediff.com   4 Dec 2019

India exported $102 million worth of dehydrated onions in 2018-19.

NITI Aayog on how India can become $5-trillion economy

NITI Aayog on how India can become $5-trillion economy

Rediff.com   2 Dec 2019

Though the NITI Aayog did not give its estimates for the required GDP growth at constant prices, economists pegged it at 9 per cent, a feat not seen since the GDP series was revised with 2011-12 as the base year.

Only 61% homes used LPG as of Dec 2018

Only 61% homes used LPG as of Dec 2018

Rediff.com   26 Nov 2019

Only 48.3 per cent of the rural households used LPG, while the figures were much higher in urban areas at 86.6 per cent, according to a NSO report.

Govt releases 5 survey reports but holds back study it junked

Govt releases 5 survey reports but holds back study it junked

Rediff.com   25 Nov 2019

The government's decision to release the reports comes two days after over 200 scholars from across the globe issued a statement demanding release of all withheld reports produced by the NSO, including the household consumer expenditure survey that was junked.

Consumer spend falls for the first time in over 40 years

Consumer spend falls for the first time in over 40 years

Rediff.com   22 Nov 2019

Experts said a dip in consumption expenditure indicated an increasing prevalence of poverty in the country.

This Bill will decide how India Inc hires and fires

This Bill will decide how India Inc hires and fires

Rediff.com   21 Nov 2019

Sitharaman said the Bill has proposed giving a legal framework for fixed-term employment through which contract workers serving a fixed-tenure will get equal statutory social security benefits as regular workers in the same unit.

Govt scraps consumer expenditure survey over 'data quality'

Govt scraps consumer expenditure survey over 'data quality'

Rediff.com   16 Nov 2019

The findings of the report showed consumer spending falling for the first time in over four decades in 2017-18. The government has, however, termed it a "draft" report, reports Somesh Jha.

Unspent PM-KISAN fund may be diverted to MGNREGA

Unspent PM-KISAN fund may be diverted to MGNREGA

Rediff.com   13 Nov 2019

Sources said the rural development ministry has sought an additional Rs 20,000 crore for MGNREGA for 2019-20 over and above the budgeted Rs 60,000 crore for 2019-20. Though, all of the PM-KISAN savings may not be transferred to fund MNGREGA's extra needs, sources said a part of this could be transferred.

Why govt wants to classifying jobs based on skills

Why govt wants to classifying jobs based on skills

Rediff.com   13 Nov 2019

In the draft rules, among 681 listed professions, armed security guards, supervisors, surveyors, and carpenters (class I) are proposed to be treated as highly skilled professionals; electricians, tailors and drivers are skilled; cooks and cobblers as semi-skilled and dairy coolies, office peons and sweepers as unskilled.

Mudra loans led to a 28% rise in jobs

Mudra loans led to a 28% rise in jobs

Rediff.com   7 Nov 2019

After taking benefit of the scheme, jobs increased by around 11 mn in establishments that took loans.