State Bank of India (SBI) chairman Rajnish Kumar, in conversation with Abhijit Lele, also says that the overhang of corporate debt stress will begin to recede in the next two-three quarters.
'I can barely see anything in the news about the farmer protests, and all I've seen of Nirav Modi is that he can't come home because he's busy, and that the CBI is writing letters begging him to please at least call the Indian embassy, no?'
The interim Budget proposals that will be presented on February 1 in the backdrop of the general elections scheduled in April/May 2024 are likely to have a hint of populism, believe analysts, but are unlikely to derail the government from its path of fiscal prudence.
Seeking to allay apprehensions of members on farm loan waiver, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said on Friday 'every' suggestion made on the ambitious scheme was under examination.
Restoration of the pre-2004 pension scheme, regularisation of contract employees after two years, enhanced daily wages, social security pension and appointment of anti-corruption grievances commissioner were the other promises made in the manifesto.
A downturn in Indian demand could hit global gold prices.
A Madhya Pradesh farmer has claimed that he lost his crop because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed rally in the state on February 18.
Insisting that PM Modi has consistently cared for the farmers, Goyal said the Rs 75,000 earmarked for paying Rs 6,000 per annum to each of 12 crore farmers is not one time but a 'sustainable' provision.
The farmers were apparently driven to death by crop failures due to insufficient rain in the region.
A delayed monsoon and abundant cotton in the international market could spell trouble in the state's suicide zone.
The Maharashtra government on Thursday got a nod from the Election Commission of India to announce the relief package for the hailstorm-hit farmers.
The Jat vote is crucial in winning at least 40 assembly seats in Western UP, which has been in the grip of a widespread farmer movement, reports Nitin Kumar.
They are marching towards Delhi as part of the Bharatiya Kisan Union's protest call over demands ranging from farm loan waiver to cut in fuel prices
The amount of loans to small and marginal farmers that commercial banks, cooperatives and regional rural banks have been asked to waive is likely to be slightly over Rs 23,000 crore (Rs 230 billion), less than half that estimated by Finance Minister P Chidambaram in his Budget speech. The share of this due to commercial banks is probably around Rs 6,000 crore (Rs 60 billion) the total overdue from all farmers to commercial banks is around Rs 10,000 crore (Rs 100 billion).
The BJP veteran was detained on Monday evening while protesting against the state government's "apathy" towards the farmers of Vidarbha. He was taken to the district police headquarters and later released.
A special budget for farmers and interest-free loans for farmers and women are among the welfare programmes announced by Kadapa member of Parliament Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, which he said his YSR Congress Party would implement if it comes to power.
Ajit Roy, 42, a resident of Ullora village in Memari, jumped in front of a train at Rasulpur in Burdwan.
'The number of deaths attributable to warming is likely to rise in the future.'
As it turns out, the number of small and marginal farmers is more than 30 million and it is estimated that the number is likely to be 36.90 million, while the number of other farmers is estimated about 5.97 million. These are verified but as yet unaudited figures. Initially, in the Budget, it was estimated that the cost of the scheme will be about Rs 60,000 crore (Rs 600 billion) to the central government.
'So far, 400 farmers have committed suicide, we are saying don't turn us into skulls too.'
The banks including public sector, cooperative and regional rural banks, were set a target to lend Rs 3,25,000 crore (Rs 3,250 billion) of credit to farmers last fiscal.
The government will take special efforts to ensure adequate credit flow to underserved areas -- the eastern states and Jammu-Kashmir, he added.
At the start of the election process in Punjab it was expected that the farmers's suicides and the problems they faced would be a major issue during the campaign. However, few leaders have spoken strongly about this issue.
Free power and waiver of farmers' loans and reservation in jobs and education for women are among the various promises made in the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena manifesto released on Tuesday in Mumbai.
Despite expressing fears of rising defaults, banks committed themselves to promptly sanction fresh loans to farmers covered under the Centre's Rs 71,000-crore (Rs 710 billion) debt wavier and relief scheme.
For the cooperation ministry, the government made a total budget outlay of Rs 1,150.38 crore for 2023-24, lower than the revised estimate of Rs 1,624.74 crore for 2022-23.
To attract more investment in farm sector, the Agriculture Ministry has proposed one per cent reduction in interest rates to 4 per cent for those farmers, who are prompt in repayment of loans they have availed.
'The CM kept his cool, but his adviser was liberal with filthy language.' Tamal Bandyopadhyay recreates the diary of a general manager in a public sector bank, providing a glimpse of how they balance their work and life.
Even though the government is making tall claims about the agriculture loan waiver and myriads of schemes for the uplift of farmers in the country, if you want to know the plight of small farmers you have to really go to the grassroots and ask them. In India there is not a single small-scale farmer who is living a happy life with enough income from his fields.
"This is not a farmers' agitation, this is Congress' agitation," he said.
As thousands of protesting farmers marched into Mumbai on Sunday, Hemant Waje walked along with them. This is his account.
Commercial banks are also expected to be soft on loan repayments and restructure the loans, if not write them off.
The bank also slashed lending rate on credit to farmers against cold storage and warehouse receipts to 8 per cent, a bank release said.The new rates will be applicable to all customers availing loans between February 23 and May 31, 2009, the bank said.
She also ordered increase in gold allocation for women beneficiaries and reducing the working hours of state-run liquor outlets.
None of them who took to the dais at the farmers' morcha spoke about the Forest Rights Act, lack of irrigation facilities, minimum support price, and under-employment among the tribals, issues dear to the agitationists, says Prasanna D Zore.
Prices of buffaloes and cattle have fallen by 20-30%.
Out of the 25 seats, five seats each are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes.
The total number of such suicides in Guntur district has gone up to 63 since May.
The Prime Minister stressed on achieving financial inclusion.
