Even if the new body focuses on long-term planning, it is unlikely to do so through five-year Plans.
Devanik Saha wonders if saffronisation of India is on the rise
Senior bureaucrats say the government has planned a 'feel-good' Budget after the 'pain' of demonetisation.
Retirees must also try and purchase a senior citizens' policy, despite steep premiums.
'Islamabad receives billions in aid from the US but continues to harbour terrorists,' he said.
Chinese mobile brands are deeply entrenched in the Indian market. A move to bar them may send a bold diplomatic message. But its cost for the local industry is anybody's guess. In the event that Chinese brands face curbs, two handset makers - Samsung and Apple - squarely stand to gain.
'It's unclear whether she is the target of the investigation, or what agents were searching for. The officials said it is an ongoing investigation and no charges have been filed,' reports CNN.com, while the Post adds that "the exact nature of the investigation involving Raphel remains unclear. She has not been charged.'
The FT report said the existence, size and investments of the highly profitable internal trading fund, which was set up three decades ago, have until now remained largely unknown outside a circle of former and current insiders.
Diplomats agree that amid stormy relations with China and Pakistan, Modi has posted impressive foreign policy successes, notes Aditi Phadnis.
Despite returns from gold down over 5% in the past three months, it is a good idea to keep this asset class in your portfolio.
Rahul Gandhi has not erred by not engaging with Muslim conservatives. After all, they had misled his father in 1986 to legislate a misogynistic law after the Supreme Court verdict in the Shah Bano case, which helped the BJP rise at the cost of the Congress, says Mohammad Sajjad.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto's decision to cancel his planned trip to the United States next week was mutually agreed upon, US President Donald Trump has said stating that such a meeting would be "fruitless unless Mexico is going to treat America fairly".
The RBI Governor brought down retail inflation to 3.8% in July.
Serious question marks remain over how effectively, or whether at all, India can actually execute a disarming CF strike that takes out most of Pakistan's nukes, says Ajai Shukla.
Recently, Sebi has revised the Code of Corporate Governance for listed companies significantly. Most revisions are in sync with the provisions in the Companies Act 2013, though some norms are stricter than those in the Companies Act 2013.
"Who will be his men?" a distinguished official close to the prime minister asked. Frankly, nobody has an idea. Hardly seven weeks are left for a regime change, but the idea of Narendra Modi on Raisina Hill looks abnormal, if not unreal. Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt captures the uncertain mood in the capital's bureaucracy ahead of the largest democratic transfer of power in the world.
'Countries in possession of nuclear weapons have a heightened sense of power and it is logical for Kim to expect/demand to be treated as an equal at any bargaining table.' 'It is here that Trump ought to respect Kim as the leader of a sovereign power and not treat the North Korean leader as a subordinate,' says Dr Rajaram Panda.
Dr Mitra called the Pandara Road crowd a 'cheerful collective of young dreamers,' united in its 'love and pride for the newly Independent India,' despite 'sharp disparities in background, temperament and attitude.' Dr Shreekant Sambrani recalls his encounters with the legendary economist who passed into the ages.
Spare the serious entrepreneurs but don't allow the rogues to use the shield of secrecy, writes Tamal Spare the serious entrepreneurs but don't allow the rogues to use the shield of secrecy, says Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
'What India needs to do is to re-build those cultural links in a way it didn't.' 'Clearly, India needs to wake up and spend more time on ASEAN.'
Former RA&W chief A S Dulat, who served as Atalji's adviser on Kashmir, gives us an insider's glimpse of a prime minister he has hailed as the 'greatest after Nehru'.
The United States House of Representatives has voted to sue President Barack Obama for overstepping his authority in making unilateral changes to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
IMF attributes the slower growth rate to supply-side bottlenecks.
Important for Chinese President Xi Jinping will be Zhao's discussions on the issues of Tibet and the Dalai Lama and his assessment of the likely results of India's coming national elections, notes former senior RA&W officer and China expert Jayadeva Ranade.
We look back at the many leaders who took contention with Rahul Gandhi in the recent past.
'Narendra Modi knows how to calculate and remain pragmatic. Take the unexpected Rafale deal - perhaps the first time a PM has considered the country's defence procurement as a priority, over the considerations of the babus... and over his own pet project 'Make in India',' says Claude Arpi.
Stability in currency markets was only restored from September.
Here is what you must not think before buying life insurance, says V Viswanand, Senior Director and Chief Operations Officer, Max Life Insurance
Tax expert Anil Rego answers readers' questions about how Finance Minister Piyush Goyal's Budget affects you.
Govt bosses in no hurry to exit from PSUs; many agencies, long process likely hurdles.
Modi's visit is aimed at commemorating 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The government had also stepped up its vigil at check posts.
'... For the India-US relationship to continue its positive trajectory, it will require India to adapt to a different approach.' Nisha Desai Biswal -- who as the Obama administration's point person for South Asia was in the inner circle of all the Obama-Modi Summits -- tells Rediff.com's Monali Sarkar why she is hopeful that India and the US are on an irreversible forward course.
Since the change in administration in the US, Indian leaders have publicly and privately identified with American objectives in Afghanistan.
The curious thing is that savings instruments have not really kept pace with changing needs, although people have access to a wider variety than before.
A moderate GST rate obviates the need for the two-rate structure.
The Budget shouldn't be stuck on fiscal numbers, the PMO apparently said.
'Trump forgets that Kim is not one who likes to be treated publicly as a pauper; he wants to come to the table as an equal, and from a position of perceived strength, not as a suppliant,' says Dr Rajaram Panda.
'The huge amount of investments being made by telcos in India for telecom gear, there is no way this demand could be met only by Europeans.' 'The Chinese are quick in installation and offer great value for money.'
The two countries also signed three other agreements -- to enhance aviation links, to jointly work in the area of energy efficiency and promotion of parliamentary cooperation.
