opinion

Time to put railway finances on track

The CAG report should serve as a cornerstone to clean up the books of Indian Railways

Here’s what made 2019 a very successful year for IPOs

The year saw fewer but better issues, attractively priced

Who will be the king of digital currency? Bets are off

From a hands-off approach to a gradual embrace, central banks are fighting a pitched battle to assert their digital monetary supremacy

Macro Matters | The Composite PMI for November should provide comfort to the RBI

The gauge of private sector activity indicates a rebound after two months of contraction

A pick-up in steel prices may be a short lived reprieve | Corporate Corridor

Domestic steel prices are rising following in China’s footsteps. But there are many pieces of this puzzle that have to fall in place for it to sustain.

Policy | Electoral bonds promote what they are supposed to prevent

Electoral bonds have given detractors a great tool to sharpen their campaign against the Union government, which has been accused of keeping the form and trappings of democracy, but killing the spirit of democratic institutions.

Opinion | Yes Bank case a wake-up call for RBI

The events at Yes Bank once again bring into sharp focus the concept of ownership, control, conflict of interest and regulations.

The GDP rescue act: Monetary policy is at a dead end

Beyond a point, the policy does not work due to specific obstacles to transmission channels

Implications of India’s fourth Balance Sheet crisis

The latest nominal GDP growth of 6.1 percent is way lower than the prevailing lending rates and is a recipe for a debt trap at the household level

Rate cuts and the Streetlight Effect

India’s real policy rate isn’t high compared to several emerging markets

Privacy Matters | India needs a new law to regulate govt surveillance

While the State’s surveillance on its citizens is legal under certain circumstances, it’s unconstitutional. There should be judicial surveillance on the authorities who have the power to allow surveillance on individuals to stop breach of power.

Legal Matters | Re-viewing the Ayodhya verdict

While considering the review petitions, the court must bear both pragmatism, prudence and constitutional foresight in mind.

Abolishing Dividend Distribution Tax is a bad idea

Any such move will not only impact tax collection, but also affect the investment cycle

Monetary Policy | Prices on slow burn, but growth very much on RBI’s plate

Repo rate is poised for a cut. More than that, it’s the communication on continued easing that will aid transmission

Politics | West Bengal bypolls can lead to a BJP rethink on NRC

The BJP’s main campaign plank in the West Bengal by-elections was that it was bringing the NRC to the whole of India. It also promised to get through Parliament the Citizenship Amendment Bill. This strategy boomeranged.

RBI will cut rates this week. But how much will it help?

Transmission will get stuck as market thinks that further rate cuts won’t be forthcoming. Fiscal slippages will add to pressures too.

Mobile tariff hike will help the telcos but impact on consumer key for success

Mobile tariff hike will help the telcos but impact on consumer key for success

A tightrope walk for states

Fiscal prudence must guide policy aspirations in infrastructure creation

Macro Matters |The government’s share in the economy is now the highest in sixty years

India's government spending as percentage of GDP well above those of most East Asian peers, except China

Automobile sales | the short and long view

There are just four months left for BS-IV vehicles to sell. Companies are juggling difficult choices as the transition to BS-VI nears.

We need a ‘surprise’ in monetary policy this time

A surprise in the form of keeping policy rates constant will in fact be much desirable

Policy | More public transport buses hold the key to blue skies

Cleaner options of public transport must be encouraged but in a manner that our cities are able to reap maximum benefit out of their deployment.

Macro Matters | Manufacturing PMI for November offers ray of hope

The upturn is among the weakest in the last one and a half years

Maha Vikas Aghadi | With numbers on its side, longevity is the challenge

The sore-spot for the Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena alliance is not in the new-found Sena-Congress ties, but the equations in the NCP and the Pawar family.