Best of BS Opinion: Fiscal Stimulus 2.0, Covid-19 outbreak, and more

Here's a selection of Business Standard opinion pieces of the day

Stimulus II offers migrant workers free grain and pulses for two months, street vendors working capital loans of Rs 10,000 and small farmers concessional credit through Kisan Credit Cards. This is among a raft of measures that include low cost housing, interest rate subventions for small loans and so on. The intent is good. But will it help? Opinion writers examine this question. Kanika Datta sums up the views

The government's stimulus package provides immediate relief to vulnerable sections of people but the demand boosters are missing, says the top edit. Read it here.

The cumulative extra fiscal stimulus delivered thus far is well within the limits of fiscal prudence, but it will not change the outlook for business, says T T Mohan Ram. Read his assessment here

The government this week released data only for some of the sub-groups of the consumer price index (CPI) because of difficulties in data collection. That means the monetary policy committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India will lack the most critical element required for decision making, highlighting one of the key Covid-19-related policy challenges, says the second edit here

The Modi government accepts the findings of the 2005 Sachar Committee report by regularly reporting to Parliament on steps it has taken to help the Muslim community. Given that resources are thin on the ground, it is vital that this trend accelerates, say Aakar Patel. Read it here

QUOTE OF THE DAY

‘Now nothing less than Rs 10 lakh crore of real spending will help’

Former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg on the government’s revival package