With Chhattisgarh leading to the second phase of the Assembly polls on Tuesday, Business Standard looks at the assets of BJP candidate Nanki Ram Kanwar

Nanki Ram Kanwar: Asset Assessment

Business Standard

This refers to Jamal Mecklai's column "A more Islamic world" (Market Maniac, November 15). It is not a necessary outcome that lower oil prices will deepen and strengthen Western-style liberal democratic strands in West Asian countries. Although the ability of oil-rich states to support the Wahhabi fundamentalists might fall, it will also sharply reduce the state's capability to give lots of freebies to the middle and lower classes. West Asia can easily produce 25 million barrels of oil a day that can yield a cash flow of $800 million a day. Global terrorism funding of a significant scale is still manageable. In any case, the Saudi support to the extreme factions has been declining. Drugs and Islamic diaspora's donations have supplemented petro-dollars. It is possible that a reduction in state welfare and subsidy programmes will trigger a bigger percentage of youth to move away from democratic reforms.P Datta,  KolkataLetters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business Stan

Letters: Oil price effect

Apropos A K Bhattacharya's column "Politics of indifference" (New Delhi Diary, November 13) it is indeed disconcerting that despite the Supreme Court's strictures and growing public protests political parties continue to field criminals for contesting elections, add to their personal wealth by inexplicable means and offer the moon in election promises. In such a situation, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), people thought, would break fresh ground. But when the AAP also offers freebies, where's the hope for reviving the moral fabric of our democracy?Viewed in this context, the author's lament about the party's promise of regularising unauthorised colonies and slums looks justified. Regularisation will give "squatters" the right to reside but will it ensure the same degree of civic amenities to others in the city or raise their quality of living? Slums are known to be breeding grounds for anti-social elements, and the only solution is either their planned rehabilitation or phased elimination.Y

Letters: Where's the hope?

This refers to Sunanda K Datta-Ray's column "The last post" (Where Money Talks, November 16). India Post's roadside pillar boxes are disappearing fast. While the private couriers are laughing their way to banks, India Post is making losses. The latter's rates for various services have not been revised for years. It has also stopped stamping the date of receipt on incoming dak, without which you would not know for how many days the dak was lying in the post office. There are even complaints that magazines and letters not being delivered. Even after all this, India Post wishes to enter banking. The capital required to start a bank has to come from public funds. If India Post is lucky to get permission, it may open banks in cities and not in remote villages. Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, the first communications minister, introduced night air mail service in 1949 that could carry mail at night, to be delivered the next day. This example was reportedly the inspiration for the US to start its Federal

Letters: Mail chauvinism

The past year has been a roller-coaster ride for domestic pharmaceutical companies, with many manufacturing facilities coming under the international regulatory scanner for alleged deviation from norms. A look at how these developments have affected operations at three drug facilities:UNDER LENSIndian drug makers that received US FDA import alerts in 2013n Amsal Chem, Ankleshwar, Gujarat- 1 unitn Global Calcium, Hosur,Tamil Nadu- 2 unitsn Global Calcium,Bangalore- 3 unitsn Kamud Drugs, Sangli,Maharashtra- 1 unitn Konduskar Laboratories,Kagal, Maharashtra - 1 unitn Micro Labs,Bangalore- 1 unitn Promed Exports, Solan, Himachal Pradesh- 1 unitn RPG Life Sciences,Ankleshwar, Gujarat- 1 unitn RPG Life Sciences, Thane,Maharashtra- 1 unitn Ranbaxy Laboratories,Mohali, Punjab- 2 unitsn Smruthi Organics, Solapur, Maharashtra- 1 unitn Unique Chemicals,Mumbai, Maharashtra- 1 unitn Vignesh Life Sciences,Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh- 1 unitn Vignesh Life SciencesBellary, Karnataka- 1 unitn Wockhardt,

Not in the pink of health

India Inc should sponsor global sport to build its credentials

The reputation game

A day after allegations surfaced of illegal snooping of a young woman by Gujarat strongman Amit Shah, allegedly at the behest of Narendra Modi; the Congress is a miffed lot. Since the tapes failed to make it to news headlines or more importantly get the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s top brass rattled, despite the finger pointing at their prime ministerial candidate, Congress leaders decided to up the ante. Information & Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari hit out at Modi saying, "First the Gujarat pogrom, which was followed by a fake encounter and now the brazen assault on civil liberty by state sponsored stalking." He questioned: "Is this the BJP's definition of freedom and liberty?" Digvijay Singh took to Twitter, "Modi and Amit Shah use Gujarat Police to spy on an innocent girl! Didn't Gujarat police and then home minister violate the law of the land?" Congress General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed also tweeted: "For 'saheb' Amit Shah, then MoS Home, used cops to snoop on a young wom

When snooping goes awry

With Delhi heading for Assembly elections on December 4, Business Standard looks at the assets of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit

Sheila Dikshit: Asset Assessment

Good evening. I thank the organisers for inviting me. These are challenging times for the Indian economy, but I have dwelt on those near-term challenges elsewhere. Let me turn instead to the opportunities we have to make India a far better place than it is today, focussing in particular on finance.

The five pillars of RBI's financial sector policies: Raghuram Rajan

With Chhattisgarh leading to the second phase of the Assembly polls on Tuesday, Business Standard looks at the assets of one of the oldest BJP candidates, Om Prakash Rathia

Asset Assessment: Om Prakash Rathia

China's leaders disappoint by speaking again in generalities

Letters: Misusing CBI

Letters: Fixing responsibility

Actor Aamir Khan turned out to be a double villain of sorts on Thursday, that too on account of a reigning popular hero Sachin Tendulkar. The launch of the soundtrack of Dhoom 3, the film that is due for a December release, was delayed by more than an hour when Khan, who plays the villain in the film, decided to head to Wankhede stadium when Tendulkar came in to bat. The song was to be launched at 4.45 p m at Yash Raj Studios and was pushed back to 5.45 p m so Khan could catch the master blaster live in his last Test match.

Late swing

The broking community doesn't seem to be happy with Commerce Minister Anand Sharma's sharp criticism earlier this week of influential foreign brokerage Goldman Sachs. Its report "Modi-fying our view", among other things, attributed the recent gain in the market to Modi's rising political fortunes. "Call it coincidence or whatever, but the market has fallen every day ever since Sharma made those comments. Looks like they did not go down too well with foreign investors," said a broker. Maybe it took foreign brokers two days to get over their ire, given the rebound in the markets on Friday.

All about Sachs

From August this year, the finance minister's advisor Parthasarathi Shome, as head of a high-level committee, started hearing industry's concerns on various tax-related issues every week. Naturally, industry has welcomed these meetings but officials of the Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) have not. Earlier, companies used to make such representations to the Board but with a senior official like Shome lending them an ear, the CBEC's role and, therefore, its clout has diminished to that extent.

CBEC out in the cold

The four light-intensity tremors that shook a sleeping Delhi on Tuesday were not so mild for Finance Minister P Chidambaram's office in North Block, part of the century-old British-era red sandstone complex that houses several significant ministries. The false ceiling in the finance minister's office collapsed and some concrete fell in a room nearby that is occupied by his staff. Given the advanced hour, however, no one was in the office to sustain injuries but it is worth wondering whether the incident is a reflection of the state of the economy, since no damage was reported elsewhere.

Stirred and shaken

The sudden and unceremonious exit of Yogesh Agarwal as Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) chairman, more than a year before his term ends, does not augur well for the management of financial institutions

Letters: Suspicious departure

Apropos the editorial "Pointing fingers" (November 14), the tragedy of our democracy is that it is dominated by politicians who are accustomed to treating the people and Constitutional institutions with contempt

This refers to the editorial "Pointing fingers" (November 14)

The world champion had an unimpressive opening

World Chess Championship Day 4: After game four, match tied at 2-2

PM, FM criticise CBI, but what of the govt's own inaction?

Business Standard

Business Standard

Page 659 - Business Standard

Nanki Ram Kanwar: Asset Assessment

Letters: Oil price effect

Letters: Where's the hope?

Letters: Mail chauvinism

Not in the pink of health

The reputation game

When snooping goes awry

Sheila Dikshit: Asset Assessment

The five pillars of RBI's financial sector policies: Raghuram Rajan

Asset Assessment: Om Prakash Rathia

The Party keeps control

Real estate reforms

Late swing

All about Sachs

CBEC out in the cold

Stirred and shaken

Letters: Suspicious departure

Letters: Misusing CBI

Letters: Fixing responsibility

World Chess Championship Day 4: After game four, match tied at 2-2