The Policy Monitor
According to the data of the Centre for Disease Control in the United States, approximately 25 percent deaths in India have constituted the fifty-five and above age group. The worrying factor is that their mortality and morbidity are not dependent solely on the direct effects of the virus, but also on measures like social distancing, travel restrictions, and self-isolation that have a disproportionate effect on healthcare access.
With the eventual closing down of roadside tea stalls, eateries, and restaurants, a share of about 15% of total milk consumption had arrived to a complete halt.
Operation Twist was the name coined for a monetary policy tool by the US Federal Reserve with a far-fetched motive to influence the prevailing interest rate in the markets. The tool essentially aims at changing the shape of the yield curve through the simultaneous buying and selling of short-term and long-term government securities.
Despite the magic, fundamental economics still applies in the wizardry world. A flip through one of the seven wonders of the Potter series will clearly project how far it is from the so-called utopian dream.
Amidst all the hopeless possibilities, this 29th of December published a report whereby the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) noted nascent signs of recovery in the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) of manufacturing and services that boosted their expectations of the economy rebounding in 2020.
Now while the debate can be the fact that the predicted slowdown is unlikely to manifest itself as huge as the Great Recession (2008-09), what needs to be understood now is Governments are left with fewer policy options today than they did back then in order to stimulate Aggregate Demand.
With about 60% of the Indian Population involved in agricultural work and agrarian distress being an omnipresent issue, it’s high time for the Government to recognize and deliver a means to the section of individuals that will curb inequality to a considerable extent.
The 5th of July witnessed a Budget from an eclectic perspective demographically. Unambiguously, the ‘bahi-khata’ did garner praise from all over the country but the gold that seemed to be hidden under the glitters didn’t quite appease.
On March 4th, this year, in a letter addressed to the United States, President Donald Trump discussed plans to end the trade benefits extended to India under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme.
While the Indian Film Industry has begun blowing the political propaganda technically out of proportion, it’s not something new at all. The first such attempt of making Bollywood a political battleground dates back to 1975 and 1977, when “Kissa Kursi Ka” (Story of the chair) and “Aandhi” (Storm) were made.