The state of railway can be summed up from the fact that while Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal was reading out his speech and stressing on rail safety, a train in Gulabganj, Madhya Pradesh, ran over two kids resulting in the crowd setting the station on fire. The lack of safety and inadequate network have been the bane the railways for some year now.

Railway Budget: Safety and network expansion remain unaddressed

Business Standard

The Joint Director General of Foreign Trade (JDGFT), Mumbai, has exceeded his jurisdiction and prescribed certain declarations for claim of Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) that are not in

Duty free scheme: Joint DG exceeded his brief

Policies to hedge against the exposure to disruptions in supplies and sustained high prices should be complemented by financial strategies. 


Jaimini Bhagwati: Strategic oil reserves and other options

One of the important benefits of introducing the uniform goods and service tax (GST) is that the distinction between goods and services is largely eliminated from an indirect tax standpoint and the

Bring in GST to avoid double taxation

REMUNERATION PLANNING: Paying attention to your remuneration package will lessen your tax outgo.

Allowances won't pinch you

We introduce this column on SME-related queries. TNC Rajagopalan will answer questions from readers on SME-related issues pertaining to taxes, exim policies or registration/reservation etc.

No blanket exemption

Leniency has been shown because of the rains in Maharashtra.

Tax deadline relaxed

This is the third column on SME-related queries. TNC Rajagopalan will answer questions from readers on SME-related issues pertaining on taxes, exim policies or registrations/reservations, etc. This

Service uniformity

Kindly elaborate the benefits provided for in the Finance Bill concerning the housing sector.


Benefits for housing sector in the Budget

Disinvestment chart

With government garnering about Rs 21,500 crore from disinvestment already, current financial year is set to surpass the best ever stake sale performance recorded in 2009-10 with Rs 23,553 crore worth of proceeds from stake sale. Riding high on the good results of NTPC offer for sale (OFS) on February 7, which collected Rs 11,469 crore, the department of disinvestment (DoD) is now optimistic of the final figure for 2012-13 reaching Rs 27,000 crore by the end of the financial year.

Government riding high on disinvestment

Employment in the agriculture sector as a share of total workers was 58.2 per cent in the 2001 census but agriculture&rsquo;s contribution to GDP has been falling. In 2004-05 agriculture contributed 19 per cent to GDP; by 2010-11, it had fallen to just 14.4 per cent. After stagnating for two years, the sector is back on track with an estimated growth of 6.6 per cent for 2010-11, but other sectors have grown more rapidly in the last five years.

StatsGuru: 1 August 2011

A deal to raise the federal debt ceiling is in the works. If it goes through, many commentators will declare that disaster was avoided. But they will be wrong.

The President surrenders

By embracing alliance politics, muddying the lines between party and the government and cleverly utilising Sun TV, this veteran party keeps itself alive.

Don't count the DMK out

Last month&rsquo;s Mumbai blasts have shaken this diamond hub into clearing up its congested streets and installing CCTVs. But some feel that only a total re-location will make them secure.

Surat braces for attacks

Rikin Gandhi&rsquo;s novel idea to film and screen &lsquo;best practice&rsquo; videos of farming techniques across villages in India has wooed both farmers and the government.

Aspiring astronaut helps farmers

Growth forecasts for the US and euro zone are cut, but it&rsquo;s still not recession.

No GDP downgrades for Asia

The Bill has all the right intentions but none of the clauses that can empower the seller and quell controversy over land acquisitions.

Will the new land bill get it right?

The activity in the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance has gained momentum in the last few weeks. Officials have been putting in more number of hours in the office partly because Parliament is in session and partly because of their new boss. Dinesh Kumar Mittal, a 1977 batch Indian Administrative Services officer from Uttar Pradesh cadre, took charge as DFS Secretary earlier this month, after a short stint in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

BS People: Dinesh Kumar Mittal

The very people whom you would imagine to be supporters of Anna are against him for being exclusivist, high handed, and a stooge for right wing parties.

Will the Anna wave last?

An 84-year old farmer&rsquo;s court injunction has converted a booming export hub into a ghost town, causing exports to plummet and businesses to relocate.

Dyeing hub pollutes area, kills itself

- Find Economy & Policy News, Features, Analysis and more at Business Standard. Latest news and analysis on economy and policy developments at the national and state levels

Page 379 - Economy & Policy Analysis