Top headlines: Fiscal deficit soars 115%, Aarogya Setu app row, and more

From fiscal deficit soaring to 115% in first half to L&T still suffering from lockdown woes, here are the top headlines on Friday

Revenue stress: Fiscal deficit in first half soars to 115% of target

Facing severe revenue stress because of muted economic activity during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Union government’s fiscal deficit soared to 115 per cent of the full Budget estimates in the first half of 2020-21. The gap between the Centre’s revenue and expenditure touched Rs 9.13 trillion between April and September, the government data showed. Read More

Aarogya Setu-RTI row: IT Ministry to act against officials for lapses

After severe criticism over National Informatics Centre's (NIC) reply to an RTI query on Aarogya Setu's creation, the ministry has directed action against the responsible officials for the "lapses" in providing information, sources said. Read More

AIFs explore limited liability partnerships to bypass high taxes

Alternative investment funds (AIFs) may be looking to set up in the form of a limited liability partnership (LLP) instead of a trust structure, given the favourable tax treatment to the former. Read More

Covid-19 vaccine: India begins augmenting its cold chain capacity

From the lab to the jab, the much awaited Covid-19 vaccine would need continuous sterile refrigeration to remain potent and safe. Hence, both government and private sector players have begun to ramp up capacities in this area. Read More

L&T continues to suffer from slowdown in India's infrastructure sector

The continued slowdown in India's infrastructure and industrial sector has finally caught up with Larsen & Toubro. It reported net loss on standalone basis for the first time in Q2FY21, excluding the one-time profits from asset sales. Read More

Liberty's India constraint: Reassuring lenders remains a tall order

How does Sanjeev Gupta turn around businesses when pedigreed groups have failed? The question confronts the Ludhiana-born British businessman each time he scoops up assets to create his $20-billion steel, aluminium and renewable energy empire from an obscure trading company five years ago. Read More

Decoded: Why the fear of a second coronavirus wave in India is real

A second wave is a phenomenon of infections that can develop during a pandemic. The disease infects one group of people first, and then the infections appear to go down. But then, the infections rise in a different part of the population, resulting in what is commonly known as a second wave of infections. Read More