A Roll-back menu for RBI's Bimal Jalan
The rupee is stable. With the end of the panic over its decline, the rupee even tended to strengthen vis-a-vis the dollar, leading the Reserve Bank to sell dollars to the market. Bimal Jalan's measures have been a success. Unanimity in this regard has now led to demands that the measures be rolled back.
Will the real swadeshi stand up
The elections are upon us. No surprise then to find that several tried and tested cliches from the past are being dug out of mothballs and dusted off for use. "Gandhian values" for one. "Communal and fissiparous forces" for another. And since it's the golden jubilee year of our Independence, swadeshi.
Chandratre Committee's proposals
This is the concluding part of the article titled "Chandratre panel's proposals: A critique" published in Saturday's edition. In the previous article, the author spoke about the various recommendations made by the committee on delisting of securities and suggested a few improvements from the investors' point of view.
Front's jaded USP
The United Front's joint policy declaration, or election manifesto, has an USP, though a jaded one. The USP is in the domain of public policy intervention which has got less attention than it deserves from its rivals. The latter have focussed on furthering reform with varying degrees of clarity. All including the UF are agreed on the need for a level playing field for domestic business.
Consolidation spree
The international pharmaceutical business is in the grip of a merger and acquisition spree. Consolidation continues to be the watchword in the industry, the latest example being the reported Glaxo Smithkline Beecham merger. Pharmaceutical companies have been facing pressure on their margins and the high rates of growth prevalent in the 80's are now firmly in the past.
Industry can't be thrown to the wolves: Pranab
The Congress considers the economic reforms introduced in 1991 as a feather in its cap. But the BJP has labelled the liberalisation process as a disaster. Pranab Mukherjee, who was finance minister for two terms and is considered to have brought the first whiff of reform, has endorsed the Congress' economic policy, while refuting all allegations made by the BJP.
