PM and FM should have the final say in the selection of incumbents to bodies like RBI

Letters: Selecting RBI governor

Business Standard

It has become a universal feature at most high ranking private hospitals across the country, which devise newer plans everyday to concentrate more on patients' comfort rather then on treatment

Letters: Shock therapy

The Opposition cannot be faulted for opposing such a provision that intends to add piecemeal levies to a consolidated tax

Letters: Under the scanner

Advani surprised some in the audience when he highlighted how compassion was integral to the four 'Indic' religions and also to Christianity

A matter of release

The RJD supremo's youngest daughter is married to Mulayam Singh Yadav's grandnephew

Family versus politics

The NITI Aayog building in New Delhi is being refurbished ... again... within a span of just over a year

Fresh coat of paint

Democracy faces a threat from its president

Turkey on the brink

With reference to Debashis Basu's "Tales from Mint Road" (July 25), the writer seems to be solely "batting" for former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor K C Chakraborty. He also goes on to question the rationale behind the "injustice" being done to Chakraborty in 2010 by Duvvuri Subbarao, the then Governor of RBI, by taking away some key portfolios from him. The writer appears to be highly peeved as the former deputy governor was left to contend with a few so-called insignificant departments such as customer services, information technology and inspection.But, interestingly, the buck does not stop here as the writer also takes strong exception to Subbarao going out of the way to seek an extension for Usha Thorat, another deputy governor at the central bank, just two months after shabbily treating Chakraborty, perhaps his (writer's) favourite. While one does not know the inside story behind the writer so vehemently taking up the cause of the former deputy governor, the resulta

Letters: Inside story of Mint Road

With reference to "Farm marketing" (July 25), by incorporating innovative methods and technologies into the farm sector, the government can help improve crop yield in a safe and sustainable manner. Increased allocations under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, proposal for 100 per cent rural electrification and enhanced agricultural credit target were some welcome measures the government proposed in the Union Budget to raise productivity of the primary sector and mitigate rural distress. The exemption of perishable farm output from the ambit of agricultural produce marketing committee (APMC) laws is a low-hanging fruit in agri-marketing reforms that the government must pluck at the earliest. It will not only reduce marketing overheads but also help in eliminating middlemen.Further, the creation of an online National Agriculture Market platform is a great leap forward in ending the monopoly of APMCs and connecting farm gates to retail stores. The electronic trading portal will introd

Letters: Better agri-marketing

STATSGURU (July 25) highlighted the public sector banks' (PSBs) capital position over a period of five years. PSBs are helpless when it comes to the recovery of dues of wilful defaulters. Hence, more capital is required for provisioning against the NPAs (non-performing assets). Harping on about capital levels is not the remedy. PSB claims are dealt with by the judiciary on a par with general disputes. Cases in debt recovery tribunals are pending for long. Enforcing recovery certificates is very cumbersome. Sarfaesi proceedings are stayed out by courts defeating the very purpose of the Sarfaesi (Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest) Act. PSBs' claims for recovery should be prioritised, only then can these banks be strong. Else, there could be a future worse than today. The government should wake up and modify the legal procedures for PSBs.K B N Rao  BengaluruLetters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNeh

Letters: Prioritise PSB claims

The NDA government hasn't taken lightly Lalu Prasad's weekend open letter to the Prime Minister, attacking him for the alleged violence in the country in the name of cow protection and his advice to Narendra Modi to direct his ministers to keep cows at their homes. Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, said: "Lalu Prasad should know about the rules and regulations about people living in the Lutyens Bungalow Zone. No one is allowed to keep cows, goats or any other milk-giving animal." Giriraj Singh, Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, attacked Prasad alleging caste politics. On his part, Sushil Modi tweeted that Prasad, before asking Union ministers to keep cows in their bungalows, should first direct Grand Alliance ministers to keep cows at their government bungalows.

Storm in the name of cow

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has compared his relations with the government at the Centre with the relationship between the Kauravas and Pandavas of Mahabharata. "He (Modi) could not digest his defeat. They have put all the agencies behind us but could not unearth a single act of corruption. It's a holy war akin to the war between Kauravas and Pandavas," Kejriwal said after inaugurating an elevated corridor in the national capital on Monday. Kejriwal also predicted that the Bharatiya Janata Party would meet the same fate in Punjab, Goa and Gujarat as it did in Delhi if the PM does not stop putting spanners in the Aam Aadmi Party's works.

Holy war

The Rajya Sabha could transact little business on Monday. Congress members forced repeated adjournments in the post-lunch session. They were livid that on Friday the ruling coalition had scuttled a private member's Bill, moved by a party leader, demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. It accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) of exploiting the issue of Aam Aadmi Party Lok Sabha member Bhagwant Mann's purported security breach to not allow Rajya Sabha to function on Friday. In retaliation, the Congress wanted the House to be adjourned for the day but Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien would not relent. When the House reassembled at 3pm, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh stood up and pointed out that on Friday, when the BJP and SAD members had protested, Kurien had adjourned the House for the day. Kurien finally adjourned the proceedings for the day.

No business in Rajya Sabha

Electricity Act reform welcome, but challenges remain

Power possibilities

StatsGuru: Tackling the NPA problem in public sector banks

Financial position of India's public sector banks has deteriorated sharply over the past financial year

India, 25 years later

On virtually all parameters, India in 1990 was a laggard compared to the other lower-middle income (LMI) countries. But in the past 25 years, India has done better than the LMI group; sometimes closed the gap or caught up with their numbers, and sometimes moved ahead

A man with his child walks past Security jawans during curfew and strike in Srinagar

Trends in communal violence in India

India witnessed 751 communal clashes in 2015, up from 644 in 2014, say the data

Click on graphic

Business Standard analyses one family's finances and suggests a way forward

Case study

If my father pays my child's school fees, can he claim tax exemption for it?Under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, an individual can claim deduction against payment of tuition fees to any university, college, school or other educational institution in India for the purpose of full-time education of his two children. Since the Act prescribes that the payment is to be made by an individual for his/her children only, the payment of school fees of grandchildren will not be allowed as a deduction in the hands of your father.I transferred my house to my married daughter. She sold it and bought another flat with that money. Will she be taxed on inheriting the flat or selling it?There is no inheritance tax levy or gift tax in India. Further, gifts from close relatives are also not taxable in the hands of recipients and accordingly there is no income tax liability on your daughter when you transferred the flat in her name. However, when your daughter sold the flat, any gain arising on the sam

Business Standard

Business Standard

Page 321 - Business Standard

Letters: Selecting RBI governor

Letters: Shock therapy

Letters: Under the scanner

A matter of release

Family versus politics

Fresh coat of paint

Turkey on the brink

Letters: Inside story of Mint Road

Letters: Better agri-marketing

Letters: Prioritise PSB claims

Storm in the name of cow

Holy war

No business in Rajya Sabha

Power possibilities

StatsGuru: Tackling the NPA problem in public sector banks

India, 25 years later

Trends in communal violence in India

Case study

Taxation: Kuldip Kumar

Farm marketing