Somesh Jha, Arup Roychoudhury And Shrimi Choudhary

Stories by Somesh Jha, Arup Roychoudhury And Shrimi Choudhary

Govt set to breach fiscal deficit target

Govt set to breach fiscal deficit target

Rediff.com   8 Jan 2020

If the fiscal deficit for the year can be maintained at Rs 7.04 trillion, the deficit as a percentage of GDP will slip to 3.44 per cent

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.

How Nirmalaji compares with earlier FMs

How Nirmalaji compares with earlier FMs

Rediff.com   6 Jan 2020

While the situation Sitharaman finds herself in may not be that good, how does it stack up against her three immediate predecessors Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram and the late Arun Jaitley?

Budget 2020: FY21 growth rate likely to be pegged at 6-6.5%

Budget 2020: FY21 growth rate likely to be pegged at 6-6.5%

Rediff.com   6 Jan 2020

It is also likely to assume a deflator of around 4 per cent. That could take the nominal GDP outlook for FY21 to around 10 per cent. It is this nominal GDP forecast on the basis of which the finance ministry is calculating key Budget targets like the fiscal deficit as a percentage of GDP and tax revenue growth for the coming year.

Mukesh Ambani's family in alleged black money net

Mukesh Ambani's family in alleged black money net

Rediff.com   3 Jan 2020

The queries, sent in November, were mainly about Capital Investment Trust, which the I-T department said, was used for the purpose of transferring foreign funds comprising global depository receipts (GDRs) of the value of $400 million to two Indian entities - Reliance Utilities & Power (RUPL) and Reliance Port & Terminal (RPTL), owned by the Ambani family. A show-cause notice issued on March 29 to Ambani's wife Nita, and their three children.

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.

Taxmen told to dispose of 5-year-old pending cases by March

Taxmen told to dispose of 5-year-old pending cases by March

Rediff.com   31 Dec 2019

There are about 31,000 pending cases, locking revenue worth Rs 500 crore.

The men behind Sitharaman's 2nd Budget

The men behind Sitharaman's 2nd Budget

Rediff.com   30 Dec 2019

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her second Budget a little more than a month from now. Like any other FM, Sitharaman will depend on her team of bureaucrats and advisors to frame and present the Budget.

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.

Budget 2020: Centre, Sebi spar over transfer of surplus funds to exchequer

Budget 2020: Centre, Sebi spar over transfer of surplus funds to exchequer

Rediff.com   28 Dec 2019

In 2009, FinMin proposed to move regulators' reserves into public account. These accounts were finally opened in 2013-14. However, no funds have been deposited in it so far.

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.

Karvy commodity clients now knock bourses' doors

Karvy commodity clients now knock bourses' doors

Rediff.com   23 Dec 2019

Karvy group's commodity broking arm, too, is facing a liquidity crisis because of some issues related to NCDEX, said people in the know.

Economists tell Sitharaman to focus on reviving growth

Economists tell Sitharaman to focus on reviving growth

Rediff.com   21 Dec 2019

At a pre-Budget meeting, the FM was asked to ensure that NBFCs come out of the liquidity crisis they are facing with the help of RBI. They also spoke about the futility of trying to achieve a 3 per cent fiscal deficit target over the medium term.

Govt set to miss FY20 fiscal deficit target

Govt set to miss FY20 fiscal deficit target

Rediff.com   18 Dec 2019

Even with the possible expenditure roll-overs and off-budget financing, the fiscal deficit target will not be met. The FRBM Act, after its amendment in 2018, allows a fiscal deficit slippage of not more than 0.5 per cent for any given year, provided there are justifications. These justifications include war, national security, severe collapse in the agriculture sector, a major natural calamity, big structural economic reforms, or the decline in real output growth of a quarter by at least 3 percentage points below its average of the previous four quarters.

Post Karvy, legal shadow cast over collateral business

Post Karvy, legal shadow cast over collateral business

Rediff.com   16 Dec 2019

In the aftermath of the Karvy incident, lending against third-party collateral facility raises questions over regulations concerning banks and brokers which are at loggerheads. While Sebi and NSDL have ordered the transfer of securities, which were kept as collateral, lenders followed the old business model of sanctioning loan against shares and allegedly overlooked certain parameters. Legal experts feel that this could lead to a collapse of the loan-against-shares market as it raises questions over the sanctity of the pledged securities.

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.

'Corporate tax cuts will affect tax collection'

'Corporate tax cuts will affect tax collection'

Rediff.com   13 Dec 2019

'The corporate tax cuts will obviously result in lower tax payments by companies,' says Central Board of Direct Taxes member Akhilesh Ranjan who retires after 37 years in government service.

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.

Sebi has its hands full, as BMA Wealth investors demand Karvy-like refund action

Sebi has its hands full, as BMA Wealth investors demand Karvy-like refund action

Rediff.com   10 Dec 2019

BMA's clients allege that depository firm CDSL and stock exchanges did not act on their complaints, prompting them to protest before Sebi. They say their shares have been transferred to a pool account without their knowledge and have been used to avail loans. Clients alleged that BMA has pledged their securities with a leading private bank, who could have sold their holdings.