Page 38 - Business Standard Editorial Comment

Race for White House: Confident Kamala puts Trump on the back foot

Kamala Harris' direct stare, confident body language and frankly incredulous expression at his statements put paid to intimidation of the kind Donald Trump inflicted on Hillary Clinton in 2016

India's food consumption expenditure trends reveal a reassuring shift

The HCES data not only points to a secular decline in the share of food items in the spending basket, but also reveals a shift in the composition of food expenditure itself

Key decisions ahead for GST Council: Rate cuts, slabs, compensation cess

The challenge will be to rationalise rates and adjust the part which is now collected as cess in a manner that makes the GST system more efficient and helps improve overall tax collection

Overcapacity effects: Steel sector leads demand for protection from China

Steel producers have petitioned the government that their capacity expansion will be under threat unless prices, and therefore margins, are supported through tariffs

Road ahead for RRBs: Why consolidation is key to improving rural banking

All stakeholders in RRBs must aim to improve their efficiency and competitiveness. Smaller, loss-making banks should be allowed to be subsumed by sponsor banks or any other commercial bank

Bridging the gap: How upskilling initiatives can boost tourism job creation

The tourism industry has immense potential to drive economic growth and generate millions of jobs

Despite Paralympic success, the differently-abled remain excluded in India

As we proudly bask in the success of our para-athletes at Paris, political and corporate leaders may want to apply serious thought to making India a kinder, gentler place for differently-abled people

Himachal's fiscal condition is a lesson for states in what not to do

Rising competitive populism among states could seriously undermine India's long-term potential

Safety first: Ensuring women's security is as critical as stringent laws

The bigger danger implicit in the extremist approach in the Aparajita Bill, as with similar Bills passed by other states, is a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the crime of sexual assault

Inflation debate must consider downsides of alternative frameworks

To be fair, the RBI or the MPC on its own cannot change the target or stop taking into account one part of the consumer basket without appropriate amendment to the RBI Act

Agri growth: New schemes a timely intervention, should improve outcomes

With no significant advancement since the Green Revolution, there is a pressing need for renewed innovation and investment in the agricultural sector to address current challenges

Rediscovering integration: World Bank argument on trade is worth hearing

Besides the argument that India must re-evaluate its approach to trade pacts, including the RCEP, other in-progress deals like those with the EU and the UK, must be the targets for political attention

Primary driver: How average listing gains are pushing IPO subscriptions

Retail investors would be well advised to approach the market with caution and the exchanges must ensure that only quality issues make it to the market

Protecting gig workers from exploitation: Govt needs a balanced approach

Achieving a careful balance is essential to safeguard these workers' rights and welfare while maintaining the operational viability of the businesses that depend on them

Why it makes strategic sense to incentivise domestic chip research

It will offer India the opportunity to become R&D centre to the world without losing valuable IP rights rather than frittering away capital on chip-making, for which it has no known capabilities yet

Import dependence: Crop diversification can improve edible oil production

There is a need to adopt improved farming practices and advanced production technologies to raise productivity and output in the long term to be able to reduce dependence on import

Banking for growth: PMJDY has improved financial inclusion. What next?

With deposit and credit facilities broadly in place, the government should now focus on spreading financial and digital literacy

Signs of hope in GDP data: Will RBI's 7.2% FY25 growth projection be met?

A continued growth momentum being seen will allow the central bank to focus on inflation and wait till it's durably aligned to the target of 4 per cent

Stationed in space: Recent experience has important lessons for Isro

The stranding of astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore at ISS until February 2025 highlights the challenges involved in manned space missions

Ring-fencing a challenge: Industrial parks may help attract investment

The latest policy is certainly an upgraded attempt to push the envelope in attracting investment