How beneficial are Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) for Contracting states remains a hotly debated issue, threatening to eclipse the success due to misgivings generated largely by the Latin American experience.

BITs and Peace: The connection

Business Standard

Last Saturday (10th May), at about 6 pm a private website flashed the news of enactment of the Finance Act, 2008 and issue of notification no.

New EPCG notification increases Customs` powers

&nbsp;The RBI should be asked to fulfil an inflationary target as its sole mandate. 
&nbsp;The fear that the recent rise in the inflation rate will scupper their chances of re-election has led the UPA government to blame the usual suspects: hoarders, monopolists, and of course, foreigners.

Deepak Lal: The inflation scare

P>The 1st of June 2006 seemed like an unusually good day for the police: three heavily armed Pakistani fidayeen were shot dead while storming the RSS headquarters in Nagpur.

Ajai Shukla: Killing questions about terrorism

P>It is now possible to get maize which has both high quality protein as well as a lot of it.

Surinder Sud: Solving the maize puzzle

Even as American consumers are reeling from $4 plus a gallon prices, Indian consumers are still enjoying low fuel prices for petrol (about Rs 50 a litre for regular), diesel (about Rs 35 a litre for regular), kerosene and LPG, thanks to their government's populist measure of fixing prices at low levels.

BS Primer: Oil prices and subsidies

Even as American consumers are reeling from $4 plus a gallon prices, Indian consumers are still enjoying low fuel prices for petrol (about Rs 50 a litre for regular), diesel (about Rs 35 a litre for regular), kerosene and LPG, thanks to their government's populist measure of fixing prices at low levels.

P>A similar theme runs across all Asia's insurgencies - the arrogance of the majority.

Barun Roy: A familiar refrain

&nbsp;Finance Minister P. Chidambaram spoke at length on farm loan waiver guidelines and what they seek to achieve.

The whys and hows of farm loan waiver scheme

P>The RBI must have a freer hand in navigating the economy through the strong and changing cross-currents on the balance of payments.

Rajeev Malik: Waiting to exhale

P>After two decades of high inflation, followed by disinflation, we are entering a new phase which, according to some, is potentially hyperinflationary.

Alok Sheel: A brief history of inflation

The sharp escalation in global oil prices, the price of steel and the price of food crops has impacted our domestic economy.

`We must manage our resources more prudently`

P>A question bank for entrance tests and a single-window system for higher secondary admissions are the latest innovations planned in Kerala, where changes are governed by monetary concerns.

Sreelatha Menon: Testing times in Kerala

&nbsp;Mistaking one for the other leads to wrong policy actions.
&nbsp;The other day I came across a study by some economists (unfortunately I have misplaced the document) arguing that intervention in the exchange market is not only ineffective but sometimes produces changes in prices opposite to what the central bank intends: in other words, for example, the dollar may fall against the rupee on the day the RBI buys dollars in the market.

A V Rajwade: Cause, effect and correlation

P>Karnataka can breathe half a sigh of relief as after two coalitions in four years, the assembly elections have thrown up a clear winner, the BJP.

Editorial: Morale booster for BJP

P>The UPA government completed four years in office last week, on which occasion it released a comprehensive report of its activities and achievements during its tenure.

Editorial: Gains vs. aspirations

The Finance Act 2008 has modified and rationalised the CENVAT Credit Rules, 2004 (Credit Rules) and removed some anomalies.

Main changes in CENVAT Credit Rules, 2004

Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) is a new concept, introduced by the Finance Act, 2005.

Residence-office transport out of FBT net

The saga of Indian securities laws regulating offshore derivative instruments (popularly called &#34participatory notes&#34 or &#34P-Notes&#34) has just had a new chapter.

P-Note policy faces existential questions

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), after the well deserved success of its flagship MCA-21 e-enablement project, is committed towards the simplification and transparency of corporate reporting.

A requiem for Schedule-VI

Last week, the heads of the negotiating groups on agriculture and non-agriculture market access at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) released the revised negotiating documents to break the impasse and take the Doha Development Round (DDR) forward.

Doha: Campaign to make voters know its benefits

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