India will extend the visa-on-arrival facility to all countries except eight with effect from September. The countries not covered under this single-entry e-visa facility, meant for purposes other than paid employment and education with a one-month time limit, are Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Somalia. The facility is currently available to 11 countries, including New Zealand, Singapore, Luxembourg, Japan and Finland.
A Supreme Court advocate and an Indian Institute of Technology Delhi alumnus, Somnath Bharti is convinced that he is today in a position to transform the judicial system of the country. Somesh Jha reports
Infrastructure investments in politically-expedient sectors such as water supply, sanitation and irrigation have seen an increase during the first year of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17), but the same did not get replicated in other critical sectors.
The party will soon set up a team of around 500 members to increase funding.
As it takes the national ground, the party is examining what blend of tools and technology would work in both rural and urban parts, says Somesh Jha
Little indication of growth surge in either industry or services till well into FY14.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has called a meeting of chief ministers of party-ruled states to chalk out the party's strategy in the run-up to the general election. The leaders would focus on setting up of Lokayuktas in a time-bound manner in states and curbing food inflation.
Cabinet note being readied, on basis of study, to ensure against foodgrain shortage; might require buffer of up to 50% more.
Survey likely to be tabled in July by the new government.
Social media-savvy party to metamorphose its mouthpiece for volunteers into a newspaper to reach out to all voters. Somesh Jha reports
Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) Chairman C Rangarajan may have found the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s inflation projections on the higher side, but independent experts agree with the central bank and expect both wholesale and retail prices to remain high.
Govt floated import tender, allowed import without fumigation.
According to a senior Planning Commission official, according to the new criteria evolved by members Abhijit Sen and Mihir Shah, henceforth BRGF amounts will be allocated on the basis of backward blocks and not just districts.
The study, 'socioeconomic effects of broadband speed: a microeconomic investigation', says in emerging countries like India, setting up a new broadband connection of speed 0.5 Mbps could lead to an increase in household income by $800 a year, which means Rs 50,168, according to the latest currency conversion rate (a dollar was Rs 62.71 as on Friday).
As the country faces the possibility of a fractured mandate after the 2014 general elections, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia is of the view that in an era of coalition governments, special steps are needed to build consensus around policies or else, India will not be able to grow at its full potential.
For the past few weeks, the government has been in an overdrive, pushing stuck projects with the larger aim to improve the country's economic growth, which had fallen to a four-year low of 4.4 per cent in the first quarter of this financial year.
Ledger entries in NSEL books show no record of T+2 leg of the paired trades with borrowers.
In the past two decades, the country's economic growth slipped below five per cent in only three years - in 1997-98, 2000-01 and 2002-03.
The government had pegged food subsidy at Rs 90,000 crore (Rs 900 billion) in the 2013-14 Union Budget.
Laxity in enforcing KYC and allied norms suspected; money laundering gaps also on probe panel's mind