Increased government spending can help fight economic slowdown. But it won’t. And the reason is not lack of funds. What is needed is a comprehensive booster dose of steroids to resuscitate the economy. Manmohan Singh’s diagnosis is not off the mark, but the delivery is. A report by Puja Mehra.

There’s plenty the UPA government can still do, subject to several ifs.

The stock market’s massive fall has been swift, sharp and painful. Experts believe there’s going to be more pain before it settles down. Yet, predicting its bottom is like catching a falling knife.

The Manmohan Singh government’s performance can, at best, be labelled ‘middling’. With general elections due within the next 6-8 months, we take a look at the UPA's report card.

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s populist scheme will not make much difference to farmers in the suicide-prone districts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The day the FM announced the Budget, six farmer suicides were reported. Thirty-four farmer suicides were reported in the 10 days following the Budget. T.V. Mahalingam finds out why the waiver is a \"giant hoax\".   Loan waiver will not benefit most farmers: Left'Money for farmers will end up in party coffers'Full coverage: Budget 2008

In presenting the budget for 2008-09, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram seems to have achieved the impossible. He did not give up any of the ongoing schemes or subsidies; in fact, allocations for most of them have been enhanced.

Few finance ministers enjoy the comfortable buffer that P. Chidambaram did when he put together Budget 2008. A booming exchequer with tax revenues exceeding targets, a consistently growing economy and a robust inflow of foreign investment.

Has the FM done enough to address the potential impact of a US recession on India, exporters reined in by an appreciating rupee and investors caught out by volatile markets?

The year so far has been a mixed bag for the sector. Increased interest rates have positively impacted their spreads, while the slowdown in credit off-take has contained asset growth.

The recent round of rate cuts is welcome, but will it rev up housing sales? Should you buy or invest in a house now?

Billions of dollars are to be poured into setting up more than 200 integrated townships across the country. While these could be the answer to India’s urban problems, there are several risks that developers and investors must negotiate. A BT-DTZ study.