Economic growth is taking a hit from the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). However, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stressed that it is likely too early to panic. “There may be a cut that we are still hoping would be in the 0.1-0.2 percentage space,” commented the IMF’s managing director Kristina Georgieva […]
economy
“Toxic air” – The price we pay for pollution
A recently unveiled report has calculated the cost of air pollution due to fossil fuels, pegging it at US$2.9 trillion a year – equivalent to 3.3 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP) lost to toxic air. The cost of toxic air as a result of fossil fuels translates to US$8 billion – a […]
Sex discrimination and women in the workforce
Endemic sex discrimination takes its toll on the Indian economy, with the absence of women in the workforce, an imbalanced sex ratio, and social prejudices holding back a boon for India’s GDP. According to a report published recently in The Print, almost 120 million women who have at least a secondary education do not participate […]
Abhijit Banerjee made Nobel laureate for his fight against poverty
Indian-born economist Abhijit Banerjee has been jointly awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, together with French-American economist Esther Duflo and American economist Michael Kremer. Abhijit Banerjee is the second Indian-born recipient of the accolade, after Amartya Sen. “The research conducted by this year’s Laureates has considerably […]
Maharashtra government in the firing line from experts on health
The Maharashtra government is in the firing line for its performance on health indicator by experts, who claim that the outward appearance of progress belies the truth of the government’s performance. “The last five years tell the story of lost opportunities as far as the health sector is concerned,” said Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (People’s Health […]
Narendra Modi’s performance on the Indian economy – five key policies assessed
By Kunal Sen, University of Manchester This article was originally published by The Conversation. The original article can be accessed here. When Narendra Modi became India’s prime minister in spring 2014 the Indian economy was in the doldrums. There was a clear policy paralysis in India’s central government, in large part due to the high […]
Economists’ fear over Modicare
The Centre’s flagship healthcare scheme – Ayushman Bharat – has faced funding concerns ever since it was announced. A meeting between economists and government officials has done little to allay those fears. Ayushman Bharat – or, to give it its full title, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) – includes provisions to cover the 100 […]
Not only does stunting impair growth, it impairs earnings too
Stunting during childhood reduces earnings later in life, in bad news for the millions of Indian children who suffer from the condition. Stunting refers to when a child is not tall enough for their age. The condition is generally caused by malnutrition or repeated infections. Prevalence of the condition in India is high, affecting 38.4 […]
India is likely to be the third largest economy by 2028
India will establish itself as the world’s third largest economy by 2028, claims the British bank HSBC. However, continuing to shortchange public spending on health may stymie the country’s longer–term growth, its report says. A report by the international banking titan says that India will overtake Germany and Japan in 2028, when its economy will […]