This last year, two friends of mine lost their fathers to Indian healthcare.

Rest In Peace

Business Standard

The system of monitoring the environmental impact of projects has failed and so there is little hope for the self-certification process.

EIA's see-no-evil policy

Award-winning magicians from germany share their stories and experiences.

Tricks of the trade

Pandemics are global, but political calculation to confront them is decidedly local.

Local response to a global spread

Speculations in stock markets are about a price change. A change in price can increase or decrease profits. How do we measure this change? If the Sensex rose from 14,000 to 15,000, you could say either that it rose by 1,000 points or, alternatively, that it increased by 7 per cent. Stating the increase as 1,000 points (an absolute measure) is simple and straightforward.

Rate of change

In a recent landmark judgement in Coca Cola India Pvt. Ltd. vs. Commissioner of Central Excise (2009-VIL-06-HC-BOM-ST), the Mumbai High Court has interpreted the relevant provisions of service tax law in a broad and inclusive manner in order to hold that expenses incurred by a company in relation to advertising and promoting a brand owned by it would be eligible for input tax credits as such services will qualify as &lsquo;input services&rsquo;.

Input credits under service tax law

Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) is a new form of business entity been created by enactment of Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008. LLP is a body corporate formed and incorporated under LLP Act. It is a legal entity, separate from its partners, having perpetual succession. Any change in the partners of LLP shall not affect the existence, rights or liabilities of the LLP.

LLP: Excellent entry option for foreign investors

At the beginning of 2005 the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) falling under Ministry of Commerce and Industry, came out with Press Note 2 of 2005 (Press Note 2) under which foreign direct investment (FDI) was permitted in townships, housing, built-up infrastructure and construction development projects.

Confusing signals to private equity investors in realty

Gold was little changed, trading near a six-month high in New York as the dollar weakened, boosting the appeal of the metal as an alternative asset. Silver declined from a 13-month high. Gold futures, after reaching $999.50, the highest price since February 23, posted the biggest weekly gain since April.

Gold trading near six-month highs

The new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) has some significant provisions in the duty exemption scheme that can impact exporters significantly.

Value addition under advance authorisation a retrograde step

Duvvuri Subbarao, who completes his first year as Reserve Bank governor today, took office under very adverse circumstances. The global recession was under way, reinforced by the fact that central banks around the world had hiked their policy rates to combat the inflationary surge of early 2008. That surge was abating by the time Dr Subbarao took office, but the lagged effects of interest rate increases were yet to be felt. Within a week of his assuming office, Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, which triggered violent upheavals in the global financial system. For countries like India, this was the prelude to massive outflows of capital as global investors flew to &quot;safe&quot; havens. The RBI had to deal simultaneously with the combined impact of a worsening recession and an acute liquidity crunch.

Trial by fire

With a large number of citizens in the capital complaining of electricity bills that are up by between 50 and 100 per cent, the point gets reinforced that, though the Delhi government has privatised electricity distribution, it needs to continue protecting consumer interest. This was also evident a few weeks ago when it was found that the Anil Ambani-controlled BSES, one of the two companies running the distribution firms in the capital, had not contracted enough electricity supplies to meet peak summer demand. While Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has given the expected tongue-lashing to BSES, the distribution company which has the maximum number of complaints, she needs to figure out a more permanent solution.

Ending power monopolies

People can be given an option to get reliable 24x7 power at premium tariffs or opt for the cheaper power with zero reliability. It would be like number portability for the power sector.

Vandana Gombar: Premium tariffs for 24x7 power

New methods can halve the use of water in growing rice - the water saved can equal a fourth of all Asia&rsquo;s usage.

Surinder Sud: Drought-proofing paddy

What does TV broadcast major Star&rsquo;s shift of operations from Hong Kong to India suggest? What does it mean now that the Star India CEO Uday Shankar will report directly to James Murdoch, the head of Europe and Asia for parent News Corporation, instead of reporting to the regional boss in Hong Kong? In the answers to these questions lie the story of the growth of Indian media.

Vanita Kohli-Khandekar: Star, democracy and media

Two ancient government monopolies, the telecommunications and postal services, have enjoyed undeserved immunity from consumer laws ever since their inception in the 19th century. The Consumer Protection Act 1986 had made a dent in their protective armour. However, the Supreme Court last week took a huge step backward by taking out the telecom sector from the consumer law.

M J Antony: Enhanced immunity

It will reduce the incentive to mis-sell and to the extent that it reduces the wide disparity between the commissions on various financial products, it is a good move.

&#39;Will cutting commissions on insurance help consumers?&#39;

The forest and environment ministry's proposal to give fiscal incentives to the states that are maintaining their forest cover and are taking steps to improve it seems a well-intended move aimed at protecting the country's vital, as also threatened, forest resources. Such financial assistance can help state governments to withstand, even if only to an extent, the ever-increasing pressure to divert forest land for other purposes. The simultaneous announcement of the intent to extend such sops to the local self-governments as well is equally significant, as the actual implementation of the programmes is taken care of at that level. What is important here is the involvement of the local stakeholders, which include the tribal people and others forest dwellers who rely solely on the forests for their livelihood.

Well-intended move

India's four-month-long monsoon is now in the last month of the season, and it has been a roller-coaster ride. After a poor June, rains improved in July, the key sowing month, but posted a worrying shortfall in the first half of August before improving meaningfully thereafter.

Rajeev Malik: Wake up to shifting cross-currents

The succession drama in Andhra Pradesh seems to have taken a short break. Soon after the Andhra Pradesh government announced the death of its chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash last week, the race among contenders for the top job in the state became intense. Members of the ruling party were divided into camps, each projecting its leader as the rightful heir to the seat that fell vacant after Rajasekhara Reddy's sudden death.

A K Bhattacharya: Dynastic politics under scrutiny

Among the steppes and ranges of Mongolia, a new wind of hope is blowing. This Alaska-sized, landlocked country wedged between Russia and China where horses, camels, sheep, and goats roam and over 30 per cent of the 3 million population are still nomads and half the people are among the world&rsquo;s poorest could become a Dubai in the next ten years or so.

Barun Roy: A Dubai in the steppes?

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