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The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved USD 1.5 billion in financing to support India's structural reforms aimed at boosting private sector-led job creation and accelerating economic growth. The financing, provided under the Boosting Job Creation in the Private Sector Development Policy Financing (DPF) Operation, is expected to support reforms that can create employment opportunities for 11 million young Indians entering the workforce over the next two decades. The programme builds on reforms undertaken in recent years, including tax simplification, trade integration, regulatory changes, and measures to improve the business environment, the World Bank said in a statement on Monday. The DPF supports initiatives to reduce barriers to entrepreneurship, strengthen labour market participation, particularly among women, streamline trade and investment processes, and improve access to capital for businesses, it added. In November 2025, the government consolidated 29 lab
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday said the World Bank has approved a loan of Rs 4,000 crore for the state's ambitious 'Jal Sanrakshit Haryana' project aimed at making Haryana water-secure and self-reliant. The total cost of the project is Rs 5,714 crore and it will be implemented in phases between 2026 and 2032. The programme will cover 15 clusters spread across 48.94 lakh acres across the state. Chairing a review meeting of senior officials here, Saini directed departments to prepare a comprehensive water management plan and ensure its effective implementation at the grassroots level. He stressed optimum use of treated water, conservation of every drop of water and development of a digital system for monitoring water availability and usage. The chief minister said village-level water committees would be formed and actively involved in the development and maintenance of water channels. A dedicated fund would also be created for their upkeep, with financial supp
Economist Neelkanth Mishra was on Thursday appointed as Executive Director of the World Bank in the US for a tenure of three years. He will succeed incumbent Parameswaran Iyer, a 1981 batch retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre. Iyer was appointed to the post in February 2023. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved Mishra's appointment as Executive Director, World Bank Headquarters, Washington DC, USA, for a tenure of three years from the date of assumption of charge of the post, a Personnel Ministry order said. Mishra is a part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), an independent body constituted to give advice on economic and related issues to the Central government, specifically to the prime minister. A gold medallist from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Mishra is the Managing Director and Co-Head of Equity Strategy, Asia Pacific, and the India Strategist for Credit Sui
India received the highest number of regressive tax recommendations from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) between 2022 and 2024, according to an analysis by Oxfam. The analysis, released ahead of the IMF and World Bank spring meetings in Washington, has flagged that the global body is applying "double standard" by giving largely progressive advice to wealthy countries while suggesting regressive measures for others that are "likely to exacerbate inequality". The report said 59 per cent of the IMF's tax advice to low- and lower-middle-income countries was regressive, while 52 per cent of its recommendations to high-income countries were progressive. A regressive tax refers to a uniform taxation system which burdens those in lower income groups more than high earners. In contrast, a tax levied in proportion to one's income is termed progressive. Oxfam examined 1,049 tax recommendations made by the IMF to 125 countries between 2022 and 2024 and found that only 30 recommendations,
The World Bank has released USD 340 million so far for the Amaravati Capital Phase-I development, a top official from the international financial institution has said. Andhra Pradesh is likely to get another USD 150 million by the end of April, a senior state government official said. "In April, we are getting another USD 130-150 million from both the entities (WB and ADB)." The rate of interest would be about 8 to 8.5 per cent and will keep fluctuating depending upon the international rates, the official said. The World Bank, along with the Asian Development Bank have committed USD 1,600 million (USD 800 each) for the Amaravati Capital Phase-I development. Besides the WB and ADB, the Centre will be funding Rs 1,400 crore, out of the Rs 15,000 crore committed by it. "In terms of disbursements, the World Bank has issued USD 340 million as of April 2026. The AIUDP (Amaravati Integrated Urban Development Programme) is being implemented under the Program for Results framework, under wh