CATEGORIES

GODS OF CLAY

A CROP OF RECENT SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES SHOWS MORTALS MAKE FOR BETTER STORIES THAN HEROES

BRINGING HOME THE GALLERIES

EVEN AS WE RUE THE ABSENCE OF FANS FROM STADIUMS AROUND THE WORLD, SPORTS ADMINISTRATORS AND BROADCASTERS ARE BUSY DREAMING UP A RICHER ENGAGEMENT

The 2.2 Million Challenge

After a slow start, the Uttar Pradesh government seems to have got a grip on the health and economic consequences of the big migrant influx. But their longer term rehabilitation is still far from certain

The Migrant Mess

It took a pandemic to thrust this seemingly invisible workforce into the national consciousness and expose how India has failed migrant labourers, the beating heart of its economy

The Migrant And The Moral Economy Of The Elite

The lockdown has revealed the brutality of India's chronic disregard for the rights of migrant labourers

WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?

In the end, it took a phone call from the prime minister’s office for Union minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda to self-quarantine for the mandated seven days for passengers flying into Karnataka from Delhi.

THINK RELIEF, NOT JUST REFORM

THE EUPHORIC RESPONSE TO THE NEW REFORMS IS PREMATURE. THESE ARE STILL ONLY EXPRESSIONS OF INTENT; THE DEVIL, AS THEY SAY, LIES IN THE DETAILS

Wanted: A Return Policy

Migrant workers are unlikely to return to their workplaces before next year. In the meantime, there is much to be done

LIMPING BACK TO LIFE

CYCLONE AMPHAN HAS KNOCKED THE WIND OUT OF A STATE ADMINISTRATION ALREADY STRUGGLING TO COPE WITH THE COVID PANDEMIC

NOT QUITE RISK-FREE

Debt funds may seem deceptively like FDs, but are certainly not as safe

A WINDOW FOR ART

With galleries out of bounds, several websites are now delivering art to your screens

A READY RECKONER FOR A RAINY DAY

The worst mistake in a financial crunch is to prematurely encash FDs, redeem mutual fund investments or sell gold when there are smarter options to source funds

Yogi's War On Corona

Yogi Adityanath’s uttar pradesh has so far managed to stay ahead in the battle against covid. But the administration is being stretched and the sea of returning migrants promises to be a severe challenge

Living A Covid Nightmare

Overcrowding and lack of facilities in Mumbai’s hospitals ave resulted in an overwhelmed health system in the city

Welcome Breather

The government has eased the regulatory burden to allow corporate India to focus on business revival

RADIATING CHANGE

The government’s decision to build a reactor in PPP mode to produce medical isotopes promises to be a game-changer in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases

MODIFYING LUTYENS

Key watchdog committees issue hasty clearances to the controversial plans for a brand new Parliament building, sparking fears that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is using the protracted lockdown as cover to push through his grand plan to redevelop New Delhi’s Central Vista

THE NEED FOR A WAR PLAN

Without a roadmap and time-bound strategy, the defence component of Make in India 2.0 risks going down the same path of failure as before

ONLINE TRANSITION

COVID-19 may have fast-tracked India’s transition to online learning, but for it to be a real success, we’ll need to bridge a yawning digital divide besides creating a more robust infrastructure, new learning modules and more

Giving Farmers a Future

The agricultural reforms promise long-term dividends, but opinion is divided on whether the farmer will get immediate succour

FREEING UP SPACE

Private sector participation can only propel India’s space programme into a higher orbit, leaving ISRO to do the thinking

CALLING PRIVATE PLAYERS

The government’s new announcements will incentivise greater private participation in the power and mining sectors

Modi's New Swadeshi Deal

The prime minister unveils a Rs 20 lakh crore financial stimulus and vision of self-reliance. But will it revive India’s Covid-stricken economy?

Life After Lockdown

The norms of social etiquette that defined our daily lives will transform in the post-lockdown world as people emerge into a wary new world

INDIA'S NEGLECTED ARMY

Migrant workers have never had it easy in India but their suffering and abandonment in lockdown is a national shame

DECODING THE ECONOMIC STIMULUS

The government has set the ball rolling with its announcement of a Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus. What remains is everything else

THE FUTURE OF LABOUR

In his televised address to the nation on May 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi looked past arguably more pressing questions to focus our attention on the broad-sweep reforms he had in mind to reshape the Indian economy.

ARE WE READY?

COVID-19 is not going away in a hurry. Eight weeks of the lockdown have helped us contain the spread of the virus, but it is still a long haul

‘MSMEs WERE ABOUT TO DIE, OUR PACKAGE WILL ACT AS A BOOSTER DOSE'

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) form the lifeblood of the Indian economy. With the COVID pandemic and the resultant lockdown pushing millions of India’s small businesses to the brink, the first tranche of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Rs 20 lakh crore package includes a slew of measures to support the sector that contributes nearly 29 per cent to the country’s GDP. Even as the government takes on a massive risk of underwriting loans worth Rs 3 lakh crore, the announcement has evoked a mixed reaction—while some economists have endorsed its ‘bang for the buck’, MSME bodies have expressed their disappointment with the failure of the measures to address their immediate concerns. Group Editorial Director (Publishing) RAJ CHENGAPPA and Deputy Editor SHWWETA PUNJ spoke to Union minister of MSME and transport NITIN GADKARI to find out if the measures are aimed at survival or revival. Excerpts from the interview:

WHO BEARS THE LOSS?

THE CENTRES NOTIFICATION ON FEB. 19 EXEMPTS ITS CONTRACTORS FROM PENALTIES IF THEY FAIL TO MEET OBLIGATIONS DUE TO COVID-19, BUT ITS SILENT ON WHETHER THIS APPLIES TO PRIVATE BUSINESS DEALS AS WELL