With rupee depreciation leading to jump in oil import bill, Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy said on Tuesday there was an immediate need to raise fuel prices.
To fund infrastructure projects in the public-private-partnership model, the forthcoming Budget could lay down some broad contours on the setting up of debt funds, which will provide investment for the core sector.
After bumbling for years since 2014, the Modi government seems to believe that massive government expenditure will lead us to prosperity supported by 'seat-of-the-pants' decision-making, observes Debashis Basu.
Having been criticised enough for being silent on the scams and allegations that have been levelled at his government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is on Wednesday interacting with editors of television channels for a question-answer session that will be telecast live.
With Parliament session over, the government is expected to kick off the divestment process in June.
The decision to finance these districts for rapid improvement in schooling, health care and drinking water comes nine months after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee listed the drive in his Union Budget to ensure the poor and the tribals do not head to the Naxals for help.
The central government on Wednesday expressed concern over high food inflation, which is nearing 20 per cent, and asked states to lift more wheat and rice stocks from its pool -- a move that will help increase foodgrain availability and eventually ease prices.
Presenting the Union Budget 2009-10, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said, "Necessary funds are proposed to be allocated for the missions that are being launched following the NAPCC unveiled last year."
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured that the Women's Reservation Bill would be tabled in the budget session of Parliament. Singh told a delegation of women leaders, which included MPs, that an all-party meeting would be convened on March 20 to arrive at a consensus and hinted that there had been some kind of a "breakthrough" in negotiations with other political parties on the issue.
Accusing the Centre of overlooking practical aspects of implementing the Right to Education Act, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati sought funds from the United Progressive Alliance government to enforce the law on Saturday.
Reforms process has definitely degenerated into a newer form of LPG -- Loot, Plunder and Goonda-raj.
Expanding its commitment to provide subsidised foodgrain to the poor, the Manmohan Singh government is looking at a host of social sector initiatives along with its soon-to-be-unveiled Food Security Bill.
The Indian State's arbitrariness may have come to be accepted with resignation within the country, but when it behaves in the same manner with external players, it gets a push-back, observes T N Ninan.
A relevant question that needs to be answered is what actually triggered the Manmohan Singh government's austerity move?
This is the first meeting chaired by Gandhi after relinquishing the post of Congress president last year.
'It is so invigorating, nobody gets tired of it,' says Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilisers Srikant Jena.
The first indication that the United Progressive Government may opt to hold the General Election before schedule came on Tuesday, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appointed Ashok Chawla s secretary, economic affairs instead of picking up a full-fledged finance secretary.
The Manmohan Singh government may have to take a legislative holiday on at least controversial issues till the next Budget session. Or it needs to get a lot more creative on coalition building. The reason is that the ruling United Progressive Alliance does not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha, and has to depend on an unpredictable opposition for help in passing Bills. In the Lok Sabha, although it is larger, it can face some unpleasant surprises.
Despite immense potential India's GDP growth rate of 7.2 per cent was far less than what could be achieved, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari said.
While terming the Nuclear Liability Bill as beneficial for the country's atomic power generation, the Samajwadi Party on Wednesday said it wanted the bill to be vetted by a select committee of all parties before it is introduced in Parliament as it has several loopholes.
The one message that the Congress party wants the Prime Minister's Office to take heed of, following the tumultuous first phase of this year's Budget session, is that the PMO should be more helpful in facilitating political management for the party.Despite the government bending over backwards to explain that the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages bill was a mandatory legislation -- no matter which country India wanted to engage with in is unconvinced.
Sources in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) told Business Standard that National Security Advisor (NSA) Shiv Shankar Menon will meet top leaders of the BJP and the CPI(M) to explain the salient features of the Bill.
The name of Mitra, a 1975 batch IAS officer from West Bengal cadre, was cleared by the appointments committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
One of the alleged middlemen in the VVIP chopper scam had asked a contact in India to target UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then NSA MK Narayanan to bag the deal, according to a document submitted in Italian court.
The divestment plan can be prepared now, but its execution should wait for a politically opportune time.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday indicated withdrawal of tax exemptions to prevent their misuse.
On Ashaji's 89th birthday on September 8, Subhash K Jha revisits some of her lesser-known classics.
The proposed commodity transaction tax of Rs 17 per lakh was part of the Union Budget 2008-09 that was approved by the Parliament in the last session and is yet to be notified. Asked about timeframe of notification, Pawar said, 'first you allow us to discuss and take a final view.'
'He depended too much on assurances given by sadhus and sants. He may not be culpable, but he was wholly responsible for December 6, 1992.' 'While Manmohan Singh came to reforms out of conviction, Rao came to reforms out of compulsion. If the compulsion had not been there, I don't know how he would have responded.'
In response to a question whether the left party held out a threat to withdraw support from the government on the Iran issue.
It was noise and pandemonium all around but Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rail Budget speech chugged on in the Lok Sabha on Monday non-stop till it reached its destination.
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