Policy Watch

Travel plans stay unaffected due to cash ban

Sustaining growth momentum in foreign tourists arrivals despite demonetisation and push for adventure tourism were some of the highlights of Tourism Ministry in 2016.

Indian agri policy should think about nutrition than productivity: Prabhu Pingali

Prabhu Pingali, Founding Director of Tata-Cornell Agriculture and Nutrition Initiative says the food security approach is skewed with focus on staples.

A lot remains to be done, says Yashwant Sinha on Modi govt's first year

Yashwant Sinha, former minister of finance and external affairs, tells Business Today that the Narendra Modi government is taking forward the agenda set by the earlier NDA government.

No mechanism to monitor children working at home, says MoS Labour Bandaru Dattatreya

Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya speaks with Business Today on the government's plans to combat child labour, given the blurring lines between 'helping' the family at home and 'working' and mechanisms to monitor it.

Tackling bad loans top priority of banks, but it is not easy

Gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of domestic banks jumped to 3.6 per cent at the end of March 2013 from 3.1 per cent of total lending a year earlier, according to RBI. Bad loans rose further to 4.2 per cent by the end of September 2013, latest data show.

To go from zero to ten

<p>At the close of the UPA&rsquo;s last term in April, BT rated its top economic ministers. Our conclusion: the good, the not-so-good and the bad individual performances collectively drew a zero. Still, voters handed it another&mdash;stronger&mdash;mandate. Here&rsquo;s where the new ministers stand for earning a 10 for UPA&rsquo;s second tenure.</p>

Ensuring independence

The failure of Satyam&rsquo;s independent directors has exposed the ineffectiveness of the policy.

The risk meter

How vulnerable are different sectors of the economy to global financial crisis?

Chidambaram's farewell gift

With the terror attacks making travellers even more reluctant to fly, this is the time to rationalise the high state taxes on jet fuel to bring them back.

The fight gets real

The global crisis has spilled from the international financial system into the real sector. Here&rsquo;s what the UPA government&rsquo;s game plan for dealing with it is looking like at the moment.

Calling for attention

Critical policy issues have been hanging fire as Members of Parliament have staged walkouts more often than debated legislations. Here are a few Bills awaiting their attention.

Tapping dried up sources

A bird&rsquo;s eye view of what&rsquo;s hot and what&rsquo;s not on the government&rsquo;s policy radar.

How times have changed

Reprieve for ad industry

The advertisment industry will soon be exempt from press note 1 regulations. This will make mergers and acquisitions involving foreign companies simpler.

Liberal ECB norms on the cards

A bird&#39;s eye view&nbsp;of what&#39;s hot an what&#39;s not on the goverment&#39;s policy radar.

Widening the net

A bird&#39;s eye view of what&#39;s hot and what&#39;s not on the goverment&#39;s policy radar.

How times have changed

FDI in retail back on agenda

It&rsquo;s a move that could run into stiff political opposition. The government is considering a proposal to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retailing.

Market reforms on the anvil

Stock market regulator securities and exchange Board of India (SEBI) is pushing ahead with market reforms. It is now keen to make the rights issue process simpler.

Bridging the revenue shortfall

The government is desperately trying to bridge the revenue shortfall created by social sector schemes like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. And it&rsquo;s now coming up with novel ideas to raise resources.

Mayawati grounded

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati may be heading for a fresh confrontation with the UPA government at the Centre. A few months ago, the Union Cabinet had given an in-principle clearance to the state&rsquo;s proposed Taj International Airport plan near Greater Noida.<br />