The agri ministry's decision to ban 27 commonly used generic pesticides has stirred up a hornets' nest. A further review is necessary, as most of the pesticides falling under the proposed ban are highly cost-effective compared to their so-called alternatives. However, an addendum allowing export of the same pesticides has brought some relief to the industry.
The agri ministry's decision to ban 27 commonly used generic pesticides has stirred up a hornets' nest. A further review is necessary, as most of the pesticides falling under the proposed ban are highly cost-effective compared to their so-called alternatives. However, an addendum allowing export of the same pesticides has brought some relief to the industry.
Around 6 million informal-sector workers are already enrolled under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme. It promises to upskill large swathes of the population swiftly, sometimes in just two to three days. Some 100 companies, including L&T, Patanjali, and Berger Paints, have provided RPL certification to employees. The government claims the programme is making a difference.
The pandemic-triggered reverse migration from cities can affect the nerve centres of the economy. An active population with a high marginal propensity to consume has been rendered jobless, and it will have a prolonged impact on the economy.
The need for a detailed, unbiased study of the implications and effectiveness of the technology-led pushback on Covid-19 is real and immediate. This compilation of data around the extent of the reliance on technology is a beginning.
A bunch of private players in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand are trying to serve under-electrified villages with mini-grids, or local electrical networks, which generate electricity primarily from solar panels. While this is creating new sources of livelihood for the villagers and increasing their income levels, there is a big question mark on the viability of the investment.
Every country should have a National Aviation Plan in case of an outbreak of a communicable disease. But there has been no public reference to such guidelines, which if exist, should have been implemented when India restarted domestic air traffic earlier this week. In the absence of coordination between stakeholders and a clear plan, passengers are suffering.
When the novel coronavirus affected human societies, many experts created projections of how the disease would spread. Most of these efforts now appear fairly poor. Understanding why they did not capture the reality is a useful step in doing a better job during such events in future.
From guidance to margins to pricing to hiring, the pain is ubiquitous this time. And it’s barely a quarter into the pandemic. After the September 2008 meltdown, the recessionary impact on Indian IT persisted for about a year. But this time, just a year of intense disruption would be considered a stroke of luck.
Getting back on feet won’t be easy for vendors after the lockdown. The capacity utilisation initially will be only 20%-30% — not enough to meet the economies of scale and break even. There could be consolidation, too. Here’s an impact analysis of the short-, medium-, and long-term factors that will redefine the automotive supply chain.
To improve the functioning of the debt market, it is essential to impart instrument-level liquidity. This will have to be a cross-regulatory initiative, with the RBI, Sebi, and CBDT playing key roles. There is also a need for transparency and discipline among credit-rating agencies and unification of trading platforms.
