The passage of the food security Bill by the Lok Sabha has caused questions to be asked about both its cost and its effectiveness - STATSGURU: Does India need a food security Bill at all?

In the first quarter of this financial year, growth in India’s agriculture sector dropped 0.2 percentage points to 2.7 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year - Low wheat production hits farm sector growth

A mid slowing tax revenues and rising Plan expenditure, the Center's fiscal deficit for the first four months of this financial year soared to rs 3.4 lakh crore, 62.8 per cent of the Budget estimate (BE) of rs 5.42 lakh crore for 2013-14, according to data released by the Controller General of Accounts - Fiscal deficit touches 63% of BE in 4 months

With the economic boom petering out, those who benefitted from it are angry with the government forthe Food Security Bill because it is paying attention to the needs of the underprivileged for a change - This perverse rage against the poor

Lack of firm coal supply agreements that had dampened investor confidence and forced the chief executives of 20 top private power companies to declare a crisis in February last year - Fuel linkages for 78k-Mw capacity to be in place by Sept

With simple ideas that do not require big bang reforms, India can weather the storm caused by global and domestic economic factors - The India of 2013 is not the India of 1991

According to the latest estimates, food grains worth Rs 236.32 crore were lost due to storage, pilferage, transportation and damage in the first quarter of 2013-14 - Loss of Food Grains

The food security Bill aims to give cereals to the beneficiaries. However, there has been a drop in consumption expenditure since 2004-05 - Trends in composition of consumer expenditure

The Bill, which seeks to entitle 67 per cent of the country’s population — about 800 million people —to subsidised food, was passed after a six-hour debate in a late-evening sitting of the lower house - Lok Sabha clears food Bill

Although the stock market has taken something of a beating since the US’ central bank announced it would withdraw its monetary stimulus, many believe this is the time to find and pick stocks with potential - STATSGURU: Decoding stock market signals to pick winners

A price index for agri commodities: A Business Standard and Indicus Analytics initiative - Commodity for the week Maize

As the southwest monsoon maintains its record-breaking performance over most parts of India, agriculture economists and policy makers hope overall agriculture growth would top five per cent in 2013-14, on the back of bumper harvests - Good rain may push up FY14 farm GDP to 5-7%

Aspects of the Indian crisis have no parallels in recent history, and the crisis has consequently been misdiagnosed - India’s unique crisis - I

India’s public sector banks have a major problem. In 2007-08, the ratio of net nonperforming assets to total loans was just touching one per cent, below the average for their private sector counterparts - STATSGURU: The sorry state of India’s banking industry

A price index for agri commodities: A Business Standardand Indicus Analytics initiative - Commodity for the week groundnut

Projected demand-supply gap in India’s electronics sector- Breaking into the closed circle

The nutritional status of India is a critical issue and expanded crop protection is the need of the hour for assured food and nutritional security - Increased production for an increasing population

The economy is entering another down leg. The bountiful monsoon may save us to an extent, but things are getting worse in terms of industrial production and private sector capital expenditure - India’s darkest hour

Official figures revealed that the proportion of people living below poverty line came down from 37.2 per cent in 2004- 05 to 21.9 per cent in 2011- 12, a decline of 15.3 percentage. This may belie criticism that growth is not percolating -Percentage of population below poverty line

The poverty estimates published last week by the Planning Commission, based on a household survey of consumer expenditure carried out during 2011-12, have attracted enormous attention across the stakeholder spectrum - Poverty reduction should be widespread

Arhar, a kharif crop, is estimated to have had the second-highest output ever in 2012-13 - Commodity for the week – Arhar

Production of pulses might reach another record in 2013- 14, as sowing of the crop this kharif season has been 80 per cent more than in the same period last year - Pulses output might set another record

WHAT ARE Indians spending their money on? Recently released numbers from the National Sample Survey for 2011-12 provide some details - STATSGURU: The way India spends now

The poverty line given by the Planning Commission for 2011-12 has been ridiculed by some critics, who termed it a “starvation line” - Thin line between poverty & starvation

Rice has seen rising prices for the last two years. The average all-India wholesale price has moved up from Rs 1,781.04 a quintal in August 2011 to Rs 2,352.84 a quintal in July - Commodity for the week : Rice

The government’s recent emphasis on increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) has led to questions as to how well India has been doing on FDI of late - STATSGURU: Tracking India’s foreign direct investment story

The infant mortality rate (IMR) came down substantially with the series of steps being taken by the government to encourage institutional deliveries in 75 primary health centers in Srikakulam district.  - Infant mortality comes down

Even as the government is gearing up to bring in the cereal-centric National Food Security Bill (NFSB), Indian households are fast changing their consumption preferences from cereals to higher value food items - Food Security Bill faces fresh challenge

Prices of Bengal gram/chana rose steadily from the winter of 2010 - Commodity for the week – Bengal Gram/Chana

On the 20th anniversary of private mutual funds setting up shop in India, can it be said that it has lived up to its potential? It has grown assets under management considerably – though not, perhaps, as much as it could have - STATSGURU: How has the 20-year-old private MF sector performed?

When analyses take a pre-ordained course, the relevance of the underlying research comes into question - Lost in the sands of time

India Fast Improving Its Poor Track Record Rise in rural income sees sharper fall in poverty level between 2009-10 and 2011-12 - Now less than 25% Indians poor

If the weather remains benign in the next few weeks, the normal sowing area could be exceeded. Overall, across the country, rainfall was 42 per cent more than normal during June 1-21 -Good rain spurs sowing of pulses, oilseeds

The telecom Regulatory Authority of India, or Trai, has moved to cap roaming fees for telecom companies, leading to an outcry from some of them - STATSGURU: Why Trai’s cap on roaming charges has telcos seeing red

A price index for agri commodities : A Business Standardard Indicus Analytics initiative - Commodity for the week - Soybean

The country is starved of electricity with a demand-supply gap of more than 10 per cent, and growing - It’s a coal fact, consumer has to pay

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has given a categorical assurance to people that the proposed Kovvada nuclear project in Srikakulam district will be safest on the lines of other existing projects in India - Country’s growth depends on nuclear energy

Growth will be mere 4.8% if logjam in policy-making continues, says NCAER - ‘GDP Growth Likely to Slip Below 5% in 12th Plan Period’

For the two years ended June 30, 2012,unemployment rose across genders - Unemployment rises across genders

Most emerging currencies have weakened against the dollar - India not alone

Planning is crucial in generating continuous income from farming - Three hectare dryland continues to generate constant income

Yields of four major crops were not rising fast enough to meet projected global demand in 2050, warns a study published today (June 20) in the journal PLoS ONE - Crop yields will not meet 2050 global demand

Will Inida economy bpounce back to pre-crisis Levels? - India awaits a last minute booster

Around June 13-14, the southwest monsoon was stationed around central India and was expected to gradually move towards the northern parts by June-end - North witnesses fastest monsoon onset in 52 years

Maize is India's third most important cereal crop. While the commodity went through a high price spiral in 2012 with significantly lower output, both globally and in India, this year so far, prices have softened considerably - Commodity for the week - MAIZE

The behaviour of the rupee in recent weeks has brought the size of India’s current account deficit into very sharp focus - A long haul

As the southwest monsoon makes stupendous progress across large parts of the country, reaching most areas a week to 10 days ahead of schedule, the sowing of paddy, the most important foodgrain grown during the kharif season, has started on a brisk note - Paddy sowing sees a spurt across the country

THE US Federal Reserve has indicated that it will at some point scale down its bond-buying scheme -STATSGURU: Making sense of the rupee’s fall against the dollar

Monsoon to cover entire country ahead of normal arrival date - Rainfall Likely to be Normal in July & August: Met Dept

In May, the wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation fell to 4.7 per cent from 4.9 per cent a month ago - How much has core inflation really fallen?

The World Bank today forecast growth in India's gross domestic product (GDP) to stand at 6.7 per cent in 2015 - 16, primarily owing to a boost in exports and private investment - World Bank predicts India’s 2015-16 growth at 6.7%

As had happened last year, the government made a mistake while calculating April’s industrial production numbers - Govt revises April industrial output growth

Growth, inflation and external stability are caught in gridlock - Murky macroeconomy

Industrial production grew at a sluggish two per cent in April, the first month of the current financial year, despite a low base (data in the same month last year) of minus 1.3 per cent, official data showed today - Industrial growth muted at 2%

Rapid and inclusive growth in the medium term does not look too likely if one examines the array of unattended constraints - Tightening constraints to inclusive development

Official data on Wednesday revealing a tepid industrial growth in April with no distinct signs of recovery and a higher-than-expected retail inflation in May further added to the disappointing economic environment - Factory output decelerates to 2 % in April

A quarter of all maternal deaths occur due to anaemia, and 19 per cent due to calcium deficiency, both of which cause often-fatal complications at childbirth, as The Lancet data confirm - Stunting a country

In India, agricultural commodity futures trading has seen several crests and troughs, owing to frequent regulatory action and rapid changes in hedging - ‘Our agri, non-agri business ratio is set to change’

Lack of government encouragement to AP Genco to set up new power projects has been listed by the Standing Committee on Energy matters as the main reason for the present power crisis in the State, resulting in a hefty power tariff hike for consumers - Sidelining of Genco main reason for power crisis

Might discuss Ordinance route tomorrow, note circulated among ministers listing discussion topics - Food Bill on Cabinet agenda

The southwest monsoon, the lifeline of millions of farmers, is expected to cover 90-95 per cent of the landmass by the end of June, within its normal time, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) - Monsoon to cover most parts by June-end

The Food Corporation of India had drawn flak for the tardy manner in which it handled mounting foodgrain stocks - Low wheat procurement addresses FCI’s storage woes

The MSME sector contributes around 9 per cent of India’s GDP and accounts for around 45 percent of manufacturing output - MSME share in exports was 43% in 2011-12

The US fiscal deficit is still dangerously high, but nobody is moving to reduce it - America’s deficit complacency

The country’s industrial output probably rose for a fourth consecutive month in April, but at a slightly slower pace, a Reuter’s poll showed, suggesting economic recovery remained tepid - April industrial growth could be 2.4%

Following India’s economic growth plummeting to a decade low of five per cent in 2012-13, economists say if one considers the first set of data released for April and May, There are no clear indications of a recovery this financial year - Yet to see green shoots of recovery: Economists

The measures taken by the government will lead to economic growth of at least 6 per cent in FY14 against a decadal-low growth of 5 per cent in FY13. According to him, the impact of the government measures would be felt from the second quarter or the second half of the year - ‘More than 6% growth is still possible in FY14’

The rupee today hit a record low to close at 58.14 a dollar, as foreign institutional investors (FIIs) withdrew from the country and the outlook on India’s current account deficit continued to be bleak - Rupee hits record low, makes it difficult for RBI to cut rate

Inflation in bajra has been rising over the last year, peaking in December - Commodity of the week - Bajra

Gold continues to worry India’s policy makers,who have just announced a further increase in import duty by two percentage points to eight per cent,when it was practically nothing a relatively short while ago -STATSGURU: Decoding the rise and fall of gold as an investment

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been the backbone of the Indian economy. That is both a good and a bad thing - SME Nation

Grain to a wider population at prices cheaper than what the Centre has proposed — it’s a winning formula for states - States take a bite out of Centre’s food security bill

The Centre, not in the pink, is making states share some of its financial burden - Weary Centre asks states to lift ‘burden’

Most informal enterprises in slums employ local residents, generating benefits for the local economy. They make profits, pay rent and taxes - Do the urban poor contribute?

Amid multiple sectoral woes, India is projected to see an electricity supply shortfall of 6.7 percent in the current financial year with the southern region expected to be the worst hit - India to see 6.7% power supply crunch this financial year

Though the ability of farm mechanisation to turn agriculture around was well known, it was neither discussed so widely, nor practised so seriously in the past - Labour shortage: farm mechanisation gets a boost

Multi Commodity Exchange’s (MCX) market share rose by five percentage points in the first two months of this financial year, owing to aggressive participation by traders in the non-agricultural space, on higher volatility - MCX’s market share up on volatility in non-agri space

Earlier, the Food Corporation of India had drawn flak for the tardy manner in which it handled mounting foodgrain stocks - Low wheat procurement addresses FCI’s storage woes

The southwest monsoon advanced further over the central and western parts of the country today, an official at the India Meterological Department (IMD) said. - Southwest monsoon advances over central, western India

Household demand growth is expected to be stronger at close to 10% - Power demand to be lower in 12th plan

The market for green certificates issued to developers, has collapsed alarmingly, casting a shadow on India’s ambitious plan for solar, wind and small hydro projects - Green Energy Projects Choke on Weak Demand

HSBC’s PMI slips to 50.1 in May from 51 in April - Manufacturing output falls at 50-month low

The pass through of coal prices, if allowed, would mean rates for power produced from plants set up through the competitive bidding route go through the roof - Power and coal sectors headed for chaos

Demand has been squeezed to such an extent that net sales of companies that have declared their quarterly results have on an average grown at only 7.3 per cent - STATSGURU: Some troubles in corporate results, but also green shoots

Gross energy generation in the country has been assessed as 975 billion units from power plants in operation and those expected to be commissioned during the year - CEA estimates gross energy shortage of 6.7% in 2013-14

The sowing area under sugarcane is likely to decline by 10 per cent this season following shortage of water in major producing states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka - Sugarcane acreage likely to fall 10% this kharif season

The Centre was able to rein in the Centre’s fiscal deficit at 4.9 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2012-13, against 5.2 per cent pegged in the revised estimate (RE) and 5.1 per
cent projected in the Budget estimate - Fiscal deficit down at 4.9% of GDP

Agriculture growth dropped to 1.4 per cent, a two-year low, in the fourth quarter of 2012-13 due to a drop in kharif foodgrain production as well as rabi wheat output - Farm growth at 2-year low of 1.4%

Weak consumption & investments pull down growth; core also disappoints - Annual GDP growth at a decade low

Rupee recorded another 10-month low on Thursday against the U.S. dollar even as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor aired his concerns on stubbornly high retail inflation and widening current account deficit - Rupee sinks to new low

Cotton farmers are a happy lot, at least at the beginning of kharif this year, as they are able to purchase Bt cotton seeds much below the prescribed retail price -cotton seed price keeps farmers happy

In India, annual GDP growth is expected to strengthen gradually, to around 5.3 percent in 2013 - OECD slashes India’s growth forecast for 2013

Index of Educations to track growth of the sector, which contributes about 4% to the GDP - Central Statistics Office Working on Education Index

As many as 1.2 billion people almost  the population of india ont have acces to electricity and 2.8 billion have to rely on wood or other biomass to cook and heat their homes,finds a world bank report - Three power points for india & the world

Think tank says country might have overtaken Japan, but lowers FY13 growth projection to 5.3% - India May’ve Become World’s Third Largest Economy: OECD

India will have to completely reverse how it focuses development activity in the coming decades - Towards 2050:development imperatives

The RBI’s conservatism has been criticised by the government and industry for stalling growth. But the facts suggest a weak correlation - The interest rate illusion

Centre’s nod for setting up three National Investment and Manufacturing Zones in State - ‘AP set to become a manufacturing hub’

To improve air connectivity in remote areas, the civil aviation ministry is considering a proposal to allow scheduled regional airlines to induct smaller aircraft for deployment on regional routes - Govt moots steps to improve regional air connectivity

Much-touted foreign direct investment (FDI) reforms notwithstanding, India received 38 per cent less of such inflows into the country at $22.4 billion in 2012-13 against $35.1 billion in the previous year, data released from The Department Of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) showed - FDI inflows into India