The Centre had set up a Commission under former Reserve Bank of India Governor Bimal Jalan to suggest steps to rationalise subsidy and help the government in effectively bringing down the fiscal deficit.
Down in the Indian Ocean, cricket turned out to be the great unifier and Archana Masih, only an intermittent fan, became its ambassador of sorts.
The BJP's national leadership seems to have convinced itself that with a weakened, post-Jaya AIADMK for company, they should be able to strike roots before long, and start by winning about 10-15 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
Private sector firms need to be re-engaged for better infra planning.
Wreckage washed up on a remote Indian Ocean island is "very likely from a Boeing 777", Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Thursday as speculation mounted it could be from MH370 that vanished mysteriously over a year ago with 239 people, including five Indians, on board.
'Islam insists on sameness, which is fine but can run the danger to jihad against those who are not the same.' 'Brahminical Hinduism insists on difference, which is fine but can run the danger of an oppressive internal hierarchy: Caste oppression, for instance.' 'In actual fact, humans need both sameness and difference to exist.'
If the impact of the Greece crisis spreads across Europe and parts of the world which are more interconnected than ever before, India cannot hope to be insulated, says Paranjoy Guha Thakurta.
Estimates by retail consultancy Technopak suggest that direct subsidy to consumers because of e-commerce this year would be over Rs 12,000 crore.
As his personal wealth started booming, Mallya went on a buying spree.
It is worrisome that salaries are consuming as much expenditure as equipment.
The financial crisis has challenged the intellectual assumptions on which previous regulatory approaches were largely built, and in particular the theory of rational and self-correcting markets.
'To identify with the common man, Modi had to look like one.' 'The disastrous suit with his name written on it never made its reappearance.' 'Frequent dress changes during the day, which led Arvind Kejriwal to calculate that Modi spent crores on his attire ever year, too stopped.' 'Instead, a newer Modi emerged: Humble and eager to serve.' Narendra Modi has cleverly repositioned himself as a man of the masses in the past three years, says Aditi Phadnis.
With a rise in the clout of Muslims in western Uttar Pradesh, fearful Hindus are being radicalised.
As debt piles up, Anil Ambani's ability to see the asset sale plan through will be crucial
Indeed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who as Gujarat chief minister was considered close to certain business groups and industrialists, has hardly been seen with any Indian business head.
Dilip Shanghvi has never tried to be everything to everybody.
New strategy for Infosys by October, says Nandan Nilekani. New chairman's other priorities: Hiring CEO, reviewing Panaya probe reports.
All this is happening at a time when aluminium prices in the world market are firming up.
When Jaws released in June 1975, it changed the way Americans watch movies, says Aseem Chhabra.
Vikramank Singh looks back at the year gone by!
Rediff.com takes at look at the most popular UFO sightings and close encounters of our age.
The incidence of corruption cases can be checked to a large extent if the suggestions already available with RBI and the government are taken seriously, says Shyamal Majumdar.
'Despite frequent high-level interactions there has been little traction on substantive issues between India and France,' says Mohan Guruswamy.
To Indian Railways, safety is not necessarily a systemic issue but something it attends to only on a case-by-case basis. If accidents were not to happen, the thought of safety would not arise, says Mahesh Vijapurkar
'Indian diplomacy is once again being saddled with the heavy burden of a Pakistan-centric foreign policy. It is something grossly unfair at a crucial juncture in India's trajectory as an emerging power on the global stage,' argues Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
When you completely lack leadership qualities and have a problem facing the media, it isn't hard to see why Rahul Gandhi gets the bad press he does. In sum, he doesn't have it in him what it takes to be a great leader. Period, says Virendra Kapoor.
Modi govt must bring about reforms to kick-start big-ticket infra projects.
The military will now demand further pay and promotion parity with civilians
The Swiss National Bank, the country's central banking authority, has estimated the funds currently held by Indians in Swiss banks at a mere $1.98 billion. Fear of disclosure due to greater scrutiny of this illicit wealth has played the main role in the flight of capital.
Once P V Arun from Manimala in Kerala was headline material for being recruited by the NASA. Today, he is in the news for spreading that lie
We sincerely hope this list suits your requirement and this Valentine's Day brings all the love and joy in your life.
Getting the balance between fiscal restraint and growth-contracting policy remains a problem.
The Biju Janata Dal MP from Dhenkanal says crime will come down if cannabis is legalised.
Ashish Chauhan is generous in his praise for his former bosses and doesn't flinch in pointing out the reasons why the BSE lost out in the initial years of the NSE.
In our special series re-visiting great Hindi film classics, we look back at Sanjeev Kumar's Dastak (1970).
It may not have the finish of the original but when you look at the bigger picture, Anil Kapoor's new television show 24 is a step in a desperately needed direction.
Dr Kamaljit Singh, executive director, IMS Noida tells you how to optimise your score.
'She was the only prime minister who won a decisive military victory.' 'She won a real war; she didn't play video games on prime time TV over surgical strikes!' 'She understood power better than any other politician, saw it as her birthright and used it with inborn expertise.' 'Every politician today who tries to be a "supremo" through populism and absolute control over his or her party is referring to the Indira Gandhi playbook!'
Once a beggar, Renuka Aradhya's company has a turnover of Rs 30 crore and employs 150 people.
HUL is keen to redefine the way in which brands tell their stories to consumers.
