December, 2017: India ranks 5th in list of countries with highest NPA levels

India ranks fifth out of 39 major economies with a pile of bad loans, according to a recent report. At 9.9 per cent, the ratio of non-performing assets (NPA) to the total loans collected by Indian lenders is far higher than that of banks of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. In fact, the NPAs of these economies were less than 2 per cent.

December, 2017: Himachal Politics- A Generational Shift!

After its chief ministerial nominee Prem Kumar Dhumal suffered a shocking defeat in the Himachal Pradesh assembly election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced the name of Jai Ram Thakur as the party’s chief ministerial candidate.

The name of Thakur, a five-time member of legislative assembly (MLA) from the Seraj constituency in Mandi district, was announced after a meeting between the party’s central observers—Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narinder Singh Tomar—and newly elected members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) and other party leaders in Shimla.

November, 2017: Telangana leads state-wise ease of doing business ranking

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana jointly topped the 2016 all-India State/Union Territory-wise Ease of Doing Business rankings, while last year's topper Gujarat slipped to the third spot. The rankings, announced by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, are on the basis of a 340-point business reform action plan and their implementation by the States. This covers the period from July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016.The 340 reform areas are broadly under categories including construction permits, environmental and labor registration, obtaining electricity connection, online tax-return filing, inspection reform, access to information and transparency, single window, land availability and commercial dispute resolution.

November, 2017: Cabinet approves schemes for women empowerment / welfare

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for expansion of the schemes of Ministry of Women and Child Development under Umbrella Scheme "Mission for Protection and Empowerment for Women" for a period 2017-18 to 2019-20. CCEA also approved a new scheme called ‘Mahila Shakti Kendra', which will empower rural women through community participation to create an environment in which they realize their full potential. Expansion under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao was also approved based on the successful implementation in 161 districts.

November, 2017: Government constitutes 15th Finance Commission under chairmanship NK Singh

The government announced that former revenue secretary NK Singh will be the chairman of the 15th Finance Commission (FC) that will recommend distribution of taxes between the Centre and the states. Other members of the Commission are former economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das, former chief economic adviser Ashok Lahiri, NitiAayog member Ramesh Chand and Georgetown University Adjunct Professor Anoop Singh.

October, 2017: Singapore passport world's 'most powerful', India ranks 75

Singapore has the world's "most powerful" passport, according to a global ranking topped for the first time by an Asian country with India figuring at 75th position, three notches better than its previous ranking.