IAF’s key role in conflict prevention and resolution
There is an opportunity in every crisis and the border tensions with China along the LAC are no different. India’s policymakers have seized the opportunity by deciding to augment the Indian Air Force’s conventional air power capabilities
The baby boomer bond dilemma
Expected low returns for the next five to 10 years come at a crucial time for households near retirement and those who have recently crossed the retirement Rubicon
Finding the right path in an up-and-down market
Some investors put off by the high prices of the technology giants are looking for smaller tech stocks that are cheaper and have more room to grow
Vedanta delisting failure: The options in front of shareholders
Vedanta’s shares tumbled after its delisting bid failed, bringing back into focus its undervaluation
Which sectors will do well and which won’t in the September quarter results season?
The September quarter results will give a picture of the economy as it emerges from the pandemic and investors will look for cues on what to expect in the rest of FY21
RBI surveys show current situation dismal, but hopes about the future soar
The economy may currently be mired in a deep recession, but the RBI surveys show a revival of confidence and animal spirits
Plans and Promises: The making of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan
The upcoming five-year plan is the 14th since the communist party took charge of China. Running from 2021 to 2025, it will feature economic growth targets and objectives such as deepening reforms and innovation-speared development
Back to office will mean re-engineering lunch
Milling around the counters of the office cafe while lazily exploring the menu is not happening any time soon.
Can Harshad Mehta-type scam happen again?
SEBI has often displayed energetic initiative and used some sophisticated means. Yet, one often gets the impression that it is the amateurs who have got caught—the sophisticated ones evade the net
The Reading List: October 9, 2020
A selection of articles and social media gems from the world of economy, business and finance
Trump is killing the economy out of spite
The question is, why did Trump choose to reject even the possibility of a deal on an economic relief package less than a month before Election Day?
‘Staggeringly High’: US jobless claims remained elevated last week
The US slowdown comes as trillions of dollars in government aid to households and businesses has dried up
A confidence boosting monetary policy
The first policy of the new MPC members has appropriately focussed on growth revival with the support of unconventional monetary steps and bold regulatory measures from the RBI
Monetary Policy | Emphasis on anchoring rates
At this juncture, priority has been given to anchoring rate and inflationary expectations, with an eye likely on the available policy room vis-à-vis price momentum
Here comes the Shaktikanta Put
The central bank has tried to reduce borrowing costs for the Centre, the states and companies
Ram Vilas Paswan | A towering Dalit leader and tactful politician
Ram Vilas Paswan had an important role in the VP Singh government conferring the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, on BR Ambedkar posthumously and declaring his birth anniversary on April 14 as a national holiday
Discom financials — Light at the end of the tunnel?
A pick-up in collections and an improvement in payments to gencos hold out hope for discoms, but durable economic recovery and concrete policy steps key to meaningful revival
Yogi Adityanath’s Big Gamble | Chase conspiracies or address systemic flaws
By over focusing on the ‘international conspiracies’, Adityanath invites a larger risk of not just global ridicule but failing to use an opportunity to reform the system from within with correctives — if he wishes to be remembered as an able deliverer of social and economic welfare
US Elections | Harris-Pence debate exposes the unequal status of women in the US
The vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence exposed the soft underbelly of American society where women are still unequal to men
Why H-1B visa restrictions are no big deal for Indian IT
COVID-19 is transforming the way IT services are delivered. This can cap the travel requirement and the need for more work visas for Indian IT
A Biden victory will, on balance, benefit India
One clear change for the better will be restoring a degree of stability and rationality to the process of US policy making
Anxious for a lifeline, the US economy is left to sink or swim
American households and businesses have gone two months without the enhanced unemployment benefits, low-interest loans and other programmes that helped prop up the economy in the spring
Wait, is Wall Street pro-Biden now?
Beneath the volatility, which reflects investors’ reaction to short-term developments, a subtle shift is occurring on Wall Street
The importance of disinvestment to capital receipts is growing
The unofficial objective of disinvestment since 1991 has always been this: Bridge the gap of fiscal deficit
Eddie Van Halen changed the way rock music was played
Bands during college music festivals would cover all of Van Halen’s contemporaries, from Metallica to Iron Maiden and Guns’n’Roses. Few, if any, would attempt to cover a Van Halen song. This was an omission borne out of reverence, and it is this reverence that will be Eddie Van Halen’s legacy for rock musicians anywhere around the world
