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Govt weighs fiscal stimulus in upcoming Budget to boost demand

Real annual GDP accelerated in Jul-Sept to 7.4% from 7%. But, growth of nominal GDP slowed sharply to 6%




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Nifty May futures at discount

India VIX cools 3% to 38.53.




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Only severe COVID-19 patients to be tested before discharge: Union health ministry

Coronavirus infected patients developing severe illness or having compromised immunity will have to test negative through RT-PCR test before being discharged by a hospital, the Union health ministry on Friday said in its revised discharge policy for COVID-19 cases. Moderate cases of COVID-19 and pre-symptomatic, mild and very mild cases need not undergo tests before being discharged after resolution of symptoms. According to the rules till now, a patient was considered fit to be discharged if he or she tested negative on day 14 and then again in a span of 24 hours. "The revised discharge policy is aligned with the guidelines on the 3 tier COVID facilities and the categorisation of patients based on clinical severity," the ministry said. The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 1,981 and the number of cases climbed to 59,662 on Saturday, registering an increase of 95 deaths and 3,320 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry. The discharge criteria for severe ...




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'Disciplined' northeast emerges as model of COVID-19 management: Jitendra Singh

The northeastern region, which has traditionally been disciplined, has emerged as the model of coronavirus management and the rest of the country should emulate it, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Saturday. He said people in the eight northeastern states - Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Assam - have been following the lockdown-related guidelines in letter and spirit. "By tradition and by lifestyle, people of northeastern region are civilised and disciplined. That is why they could very easily follow the lockdown guidelines. There has been no problem in ensuring implementation of the lockdown-related guidelines there," Singh told PTI. He said within six years of the Modi government, the northeastern region has emerged as the model for development for the entire country. "Similarly, during the lockdown due to COVID-19, entire northeast has become model for the whole country to emulate it," he said, adding that the way people are ...




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Panel needed to help states tide over fiscal crisis: CM to PM

: Chief Minister of Puducherry V Narayanasamy on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to appoint an expert committee to help states overcome the fiscal situation in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown. He told reporters here that he had written a letter to the Prime Minister urging him to constitute immediately the expert committee to go into the poor fiscal condition of the states during the current lockdown and help mobilise funds to meet their commitments. The expert committee should be given a time-frame of one week to come out with its recommendations as to how the Centre could help the states wriggle out of the fiscal crisis and how States could rise to the exigency, he said. Narayanasamy hoped the Prime Minister would consider his suggestion and take appropriate action. "I am speaking candidly and making the suggestion for all states which no BJP-ruled state Chief Ministers will express,", Narayanasamy a former Central Minister, said. Already, he said, ...




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Sikkim govt rolls out austerity measures to tide over fiscal impact of COVID-19

The Prem Singh Tamang government in Sikkim has decided to reduce the salaries of the chief minister and ministers by 35 per cent for the next one year to mitigate the adverse impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the state's economy. As per decisions taken at a cabinet meeting presided over by the chief minister on Friday, utilisation of discretionary funds of the ministers have also been put on hold. The state government has decided to impose a ban on appointments under regular/work-charged/muster roll/adhoc/consolidated pay/ temporary basis for six months, a press release issued by the Information and Public Relations department said. The state government has also decided to impose a ban on replacement and purchase of new vehicles, computers and peripherals while the allocation under revenue expenditure in all departments will be curtailed by ten per cent. Among other things, there will be restrictions on advertisement or publication of notice inviting tender except ..




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COVID-19 challenges: TN forms panel under ex-RBI Guv Rangarajan to improve fiscal position

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday set up a high-level committee headed by former Reserve Bank of India governor C Rangarajan to examine fiscal challenges facing the state owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and suggest the way forward to improve its fiscal position. The committee, which will also consist of Finance Secretary S Krishnan as coordinator, will submit its report to the government within three months, according to a Government Order. The committee, with 21 members, would assess the overall immediate and medium term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on different sectors of the state's economy including the impact of lockdown, additional costs and implications due to social distancing and their precautionary measures. Also, it would assess the opportunities and threats in the short and medium term, suggest measures required to help the important sectors of the economy to overcome the impact of the virus pandemic. Apart from identifying specific reform measures to ..




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Chhattisgarh: 5 discharged, active COVID-19 cases now 16

Five people were discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Saturday after recovering from the novel coronavirus infection, health officials said. Those discharged include two women and a five-year-old boy, an official informed. So far 43 people have been discharged while the number of active cases in the state is 16, he added. "Two women and a boy from Kabirdham, two men from Durg and Surajpur were discharged after two consecutive tests were negative for the infection. They will be kept in a quarantine centre as a precaution before they are allowed to go home," a public relations officer of AIIMS Raipur told PTI. Chhattisgarh COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 59; New cases nil; Deaths nil; Discharged 43; Active cases 16; People tested so far 23,629.




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SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav discharged from hospital

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was discharged from a Lucknow hospital where he was admitted after he complained of stomach and urine-related issues. The Samajwadi Party founder, admitted to Medanta Hospital on Wednesday, was discharged on Saturday afternoon and he is fine now, party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said. He had gone to the hospital for a routine check-up but the doctors admitted him for observation, Chaudhary said. Chaudhary said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met him on Friday and enquired about his health.




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Coronavirus: 81-year-old man, 84 others discharged in Indore

An 81-year-old man was among 85 people discharged from Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday after recovery, with health officials saying the octogenarian might be the oldest in the state to have overcome the coronavirus infection. All 85 were discharged from Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS). "The 81-year-old man tested positive for coronavirus on April 27. After 12-day treatment, he was discharged along with 84 others in the evening from SAIMS after two consecutive negative tests," an official said. The 81-year-old is the oldest person in the state to have been discharged after recovery, he said. Indore is among the worst hit in the country by the virus outbreak and currently has 1,780 COVID-19 patients. A total of 87 people have so far died due to the infection.




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Coronavirus Update: Uber, Lyft Cut Jobs, UnitedHealth Offers Discounts

Uber and Lyft are aggressively cutting costs as fewer people take rides, UnitedHealth will offer customers $1.5 billion of help and discounts, and Russia’s Vladimir Putin moves to ease lockdowns amid economic challenges. WSJ’s Jason Bellini has the latest on the pandemic. Photo: Josh Edelson / AFP




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Periyar discolouration: state board slammed


On 6 September, the water of the Periyar, Kerala's largest river, suddenly changed colour into red. Eloor remains a glaring example of unchecked corporate crimes against neighbourhood communities. It also highlights the apathy of the state's apex pollution watchdog, writes M Suchitra.




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Development disconnected from research


The practical management of water systems has become detached from the knowledge gained through research, which has made great progress in the last two or three decades. Because critical elements of research have been externalised, the induction of new inter-disciplinary learning has been greatly limited, writes Jayanta Bandyopadhyay.




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Fiscal deficits and decentralization - II


In the second in a series of two articles, Jayaprakash Narayan discusses on the connection between the fiscal crisis and decentralization of political power.




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Lad-ders of indiscretion


Members of parliament find many uses for their constituency development funds, but a number of these are simply photo-ops for the incumbents.




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Right-to-information or disclosure?


We need to think about how RTI could be used to ensure more "systemic" solutions, where the performance of our government institutions are discussed in a regular, predictable manner says Ramesh Ramanathan.




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Caste discrimination persisting in U.P. schools


On Independence day, a District Magistrate in U.P. handed over three teachers of a primary school to the police, during a surprise school visit. School children are among the worst sufferers in the state; they continue to pay for a system they neither moulded nor understand. Puja Awasthi reports.




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Danica Patrick Discusses Her Post-Nascar Life as an Entrepreneur

Retired Nascar driver Danica Patrick talks to WSJ's Lee Hawkins about her post-racing life as an entrepreneur, which has taken her into the wine, clothing, and cooking businesses, while also maintaining an endorsement relationship with GoDaddy.




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"The Bay Lights" Transforms San Francisco Skyline

"The Bay Lights" light installation, inspired by the 75th anniversary of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, is officially unveiled March 5. Here's a preview of what it will look like, and a conversation the artist, Leo Villareal.




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DISCOMs face a stark future


The energy sector is undergoing a massive transformation, with large customers option for direct access from producers and those in the middle looking for decentralised storage and consumption. Between these forces, the old distribution business faces serious risk, says a report from the Prayas Energy Group.




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Discarding veils, embracing change


Displaying extraordinary grit, courage and openness to change, women from some of the most feudal communities in Rajasthan's villages are changing the rules forever and leading development and local governance at the grassroots. Abha Sharma brings us their tales.




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Public discourse on public health


The Patents Amendment Bill involved an issue of great concern to citizens. But did the Indian media provide a public forum for debate on the issue and enable individuals and institutions to contribute their thinking? Ammu Joseph doesn't think the media lived up to its responsibilities.




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Thanjavur : summer of discontent


The Thanjavur region in TN is currently an economy in distress. Lalitha Sridhar captures the voices, concerns and the many questions.




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How Mumbai came to discover Vidarbha


The Prime Minister's upcoming visit to Vidarbha has had an impact even before he's reached there. It would, however, be a transient impact if he does not see through the charade. The mess there starts right at the top. Vidarbha's condition is the product of design, not decay, writes P Sainath.




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Discrimination for dummies: V 2008


Increasingly, job quotas are cited as 'discrimination' - in reverse. But the word discrimination in terms of caste means something very different that the media mostly do not, or choose not to, understand, writes P Sainath.




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Elections : Disclosures now Mandatory


Jayprakash Narayan on the recent SC judgement that reinstated mandatory discloures from election candidates.




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Discrimination in the name of inclusion


25 per cent of the seats in Delhi private schools are reserved for poor students, to be provided free. But this provision is dodged in numerous ways; schools claim ignorance of the law, that they can't find poor students, that poor students have to be educated separately even if admitted, and so on. Deepa A reports.




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नई Land Rover Discovery Sport हुई भारत में लॉन्च, जानें फीचर्स और कीमत

लैंड रोवर डिस्कवरी स्पोर्ट (Land Rover Discovery Sport) को उसकी बेमिसाल पावर के लिए जाना जाता है. इसका 2.0-लीटर बीएस-6 कम्प्लाइंट D180 डीजल इंजन 180 हॉर्स पावर की ताकत और 430Nm का टॉर्क जेनरेट करता है




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Assam’s first Covid-19 patient cured and discharged from SMCH

The first Covid-19 patient of Assam, Jamal Uddin has been cured and released from Silchar Medical College Hospital on Wednesday afternoon. He was released after three consecutive negative tests, said Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in his Tweets.




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3 seniors discharged, Bokaro now free of Covid-19




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Govt to borrow more, fiscal deficit may hit 5.5%

The govt on Friday said it will borrow about Rs 12 lakh crore from the market in fiscal year 2020-21, an increase of Rs 4.2 lakh crore, or 54% jump over the Budget estimate of Rs 7.8 lakh crore. This, the economists said will push the fiscal deficit from 3.5% for 2020-21 to 5.5%. The decision for higher borrowing has also been prompted by severe loss of govt revenues.




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15 patients found -ve in 2nd test, discharged from LLR hospital




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SHO defeats corona, discharged




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New genes linked to severe childhood speech disorder discovered

Researchers have discovered nine new genes linked to the most severe type of childhood speech disorder (CAS) -- apraxia, in which a child has difficulty making accurate movements when speaking.




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Immune system discovery paves way to lengthen organ transplant survival: Study




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Fact Check: Did Nurses in Jhalawar Hospital Resign Because of Misconduct by Jamaatis?

There is absolutely no mention of Jamaatis in the resignation letter.




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A 38-Year-Old Brazilian Man Has Just Discovered He Has Three Kidneys

This person too did not need any special care for his extra kidney and was only given painkiller medicine for his backache.




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Daughter Introduced me to Tiktok: David Warner and Rohit Sharma Discuss Lockdown

Rohit and Warner would have been currently leading the Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad respectively in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League had it not been for the tournament's postponement due to the pandemic.




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PM Meets FM, Home Minister to Discuss 2nd Economic Stimulus Package for Affected Sectors

PM Narendra Modi, who held discussions with Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman, on Friday held meetings with different ministries including civil aviation, labour and power.




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Cash Transfers, Food For All: How Govt May Balance Fiscal Concerns with Growing Hunger & Poverty

India has provided a stimulus which doesn’t even equal a percent of the country’s GDP when other countries have already pumped funds far in excess into their respective economies.




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State-owned Bank NPAs May Rise in FY21, Govt's Fiscal Deficit to Widen: Bank Of America

Analysts agree that Covid-19 pandemic will lead to an increase in bank's gross non-performing assets with some reports pegging the stock to double as well.




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More Fiscal Stimulus Measures Necessary in India to Fight Covid-19: S&P

In March, the government announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore relief package focusing on providing food security to the poor and providing money in their hands to fight COVID-19.




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Govt to Gain Over Rs 1.5 Lakh Cr this Fiscal From Record Excise Duty Hike on Petrol & Diesel

The government hiked excise duty on petrol by Rs 10 per litre and that on diesel by Rs 13 a litre to mop up gains arising from international oil prices falling to a two-decade low.




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India May See 0% GDP Growth This Fiscal Year, Says Moody's

The ratings agency said it expected India to see no growth in financial year 2021 and bounce back to a 6.6% GDP growth in FY22.




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Record Excise Duty Hike Unlikely to Help Bridge Fiscal Gap: Report

Despite crude prices trading at a two decades low, the government had earlier this week hiked excise duty on petrol by Rs 10 a litre and on diesel by Rs 13 a litre to mop up nearly Rs 1.6 lakh crore in additional revenue this fiscal.




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Ex-RBI Governor Rangarajan Heads Committee to Look at Tamil Nadu's Post-virus Fiscal Challenges

According to the Tamil Nadu government, the committee comprises economists, industrialists, vice chancellors, bankers, government officials and others.




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Gujarat: Bharuch cleans its Covid-19 slate, last three patients discharged

The last three Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospital in Bharuch on Thursday. These patients were got discharged from the Jayaben Modi Covid-19 hospital in Ankleshwar, after their two test reports came negative.




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Tisca Chopra Recalls Time When Irrfan Khan Stopped Her From Quitting Acting

Actress Tisca Chopra worked with the late Irrfan Khan in the critically acclaimed film Qissa besides in TV projects. She says Irrfan pushed her in the right direction during her initial days of struggle.




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Courteney Cox Recalls Shooting Rachel's Birth Sequence in Friends After Multiple Miscarriages

In an earlier interview, Courtney Cox opened up about going through a rough time in her personal life after she had multiple miscarriages.




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Is Facebook Free Basics Back? No, Improved Discover Starts by Killing Net Neutrality Arguments

But how is it different from the controversial Free Basics, which faced opposition particularly in India? The single biggest change is that it allows access to every website available.