Given that the target was to reach 80.34 million families under PMUY - within three months starting April 1 - the government should have distributed at least 241.02 million cylinders by the end of June. It actually ended up distributing only 119.7 million cylinders.
The president outlined the government's agenda in the coming financial year in his customary address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament.
Credibility of fiscal promises is a virtue that no finance minister can afford to lose.
'The kind of tax which will be generated from the second pillar may far outweigh what we may be losing in the first pillar.'
'With the largest number of malnourished people on the planet, India is poised to be a nation that significantly under-performs as an economy.'
Manish Sabharwal tackles 5 criticisms of demonetisation.
India plans to directly transfer cash benefits to bank accounts of people under various social welfare scheme over the next few years and is expanding the banking network.
The government's annual Economic Survey on Friday strongly defended new farm laws, saying they herald a new era of market freedom which can go a long way in improving lives of small and marginal farmers in India. These legislations were designed "primarily" for the benefit of "small and marginal farmers", which constitute around 85 per cent of the total number of farmers and are the biggest sufferer of the "regressive" APMC-regulated market regime, the survey said. The pre-budget document defended the farm laws in the backdrop of long-running farmers' agitation at various borders of the national capital seeking repeal of these legislations expressing concern that they are pro-corporate and could weaken government regulated mandis, also called Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs).
'The current budgetary practice of shifting expenditures off-balance sheet in order to be seen to be meeting fiscal targets should be discontinued; additional fiscal stimulus would be imprudent; individual income tax rates should not be cut; GST rates should not be raised now,' advise Arvind Subramanian and Josh Felman.
With UPA facing allegations of corruption, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said his government wants to use new technology to curb dishonesty and bring transparency in governance.
Failure to do so leads to incorrect filing and under-reporting of income, with adverse consequences, advises Bindisha Sarang.
Economic growth in the last two years has stayed above seven per cent.
If diesel subsidy can be confined to the running of public transport vehicles and agricultural pump sets, then it will stop benefiting private car owners and sundry other unintended recipients.
Take part in the growth story, Amit A Shah tells Corporate India.
The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana scheme will help eradicate poverty and curb corruption at the grassroot level, industry said.
The mandatory use of the Indian flag on SCI's ships has been a bone of contention with prospective buyers, on account of the costs it will entail in terms of taxation and vessel registration.
SpiceJet, India's second-largest private airline, kicked off the process of hiving off its logistics business to its subsidiary SpiceXpress as it looks to raise much-needed capital. On Tuesday, the company sought its shareholders' approval to complete the process and to raise up to Rs 2,500 crore via a qualified institutions placement (QIP). It is in talks with multiple private equity investors as it tries to sell shares in the logistics arm to raise money.
'The right to shelter does not mean right to government accommodation. The government accommodation is meant for serving officers and officials and not to the retirees as a benevolence and distribution of largesse,' a bench of justices Hemant Gupta and A S Bopanna said in its judgement passed last week.
P Chidambaram accused the BJP of making a u-turn on bills like GST after having stalled them during the UPA regime.
Modi sarkar will have to undertake reforms to prove its mettle.
Mr Modi must now work to win over the governor as a friend and learn to influence people credibly.
The government's initial promise and energy seems to have dissipated.
'It doesn't really matter ultimately what individual commentators say or write about Modi. So long as he continues the BJP's march towards greater vote share, a bigger geographic spread and a crushing of the Congress, he is a success,' says Aakar Patel.
Most expect the Budget to be path-breaking.
Modi is optimistic that the reforms will be passed soon.
The panel will also recommend a fiscal consolidation road map for the central and state governments, study the impact of GST on the divisible pool, and propose performance-based incentives for states.
'The finance minister and the government have met the immediate challenge. The wine this time is new and also in a new bottle, which, though not full, is less than half empty.'
Experts said the rules will help curb market manipulation and money laundering, which could take place during the transfer of shares between residents and NRIs.
'The people of Uttar Pradesh have already made up their mind to puncture the Samajwadi Party's cycle, kick away the Bahujan Samaj Party's elephant, and remove shadows of the already-vanished hand of the Congress.'
The court said had the prosecution witnesses not turned hostile, the outcome of the trial would have been different.
'The classic thing we need as a country is the virtuous cycle where you have robust demand which leads to more capital spending which in turn leads to more job creation and more money in the hands of people.'
'Transparency is us watching the government and not the government watching us'
Going the direct subsidy route, the prices of kerosene and LPG will go up in the market, but the extent of rise will not be as high as when the subsidy is given to everyone.
Whether it is for disaster relief or a personal cause, some online platforms help you raise funds for a fee.
The solicitor general said that the PM CARES Fund is a 'voluntary fund'. "It is a public trust. It is a body where you can make voluntary contributions and no budgetary allocations to the NDRF or SDRF are being touched. What has to be spent will be spent," the law officer said.
'Economic issues do not matter during elections; it is the emotional connect that helps swing votes.'
The finance ministry website that lists the total disinvestment revenues to be mobilised during the current year already shows that no receipts are expected from strategic sales in the current year.
NDA's energy plan powered UP win, but it's not a winner yet. Centre has claimed to have saved money by targeted coverage but critics say the system is not yet foolproof.
Here's the full text of President Ram Nath Kovind's customary address to the joining sitting of Parliament on the first day of the budget session.
So far, there seems to be limited debate about their activities in India, where virtually all FAANG companies have teamed up in different ways with India's most powerful businessman, observes T N Ninan.
