A week in review: Here are the top stories from this week

So while you are paying much more for your plate of food, does rising food prices indicate better income for farmers, even though temporary?

Fiscal Deficit represents net borrowings by the government in a year. Difference between the debt and liabilities at the beginning and at the end of a financial year also represents net borrowings during the year. Fiscal deficit should therefore equal change in the debt and liabilities during the financial year. All government expenditure, revenues and debts are required to be carried out through the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI). If it is done so, the fiscal deficit of the government should equal to the additional debt incurred during the year, all recorded in the CFI.

Now, millions of people across our vast country have an option to use a language of their choice on their smartphones. While English is still the widely used language in India, new users are now opting to access the internet in their regional languages, or at the most a combination of vernacular and English, e.g. Hinglish. This experience will only get better if brands choose to explore the potential market in this space, writes Sanjay Mehta.

Davinder Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police, was suspended on January 13, after being arrested in Kulgam district along with terrorists of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen and a lawyer working as an overground worker for terror outfits. On the face of it, it is quite appalling that a deputy superintendent of police (DSP)-level officer from Jammu and Kashmir was caught in the company of two Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) operatives, in the process revealing the fault lines of India’s security apparatus in militancy-hit regions.

Masala Bonds are financial instruments through which Indian entities can raise money from offshore markets such as the London Stock Exchange. Unlike conventional bonds, these are rupee-denominated but settled in a foreign currency, so the currency risk is transferred from the issuer to the investor. The term “Masala” has been ascribed to these bonds to give them an Indian tone whilst the Chinese and Turkish variants for example are respectively known as “Dim Sum Bonds” and “Baklava Bonds”.

With dual airport systems, the current slot portfolios will be enhanced. Thus airlines can be coaxed to leverage this towards offering better schedules. But airport marketing teams will face a challenge in convincing airlines whether to split operations or operate to both airports – a scenario that has simply not presented itself due to current monopoly positions, writes Satyendra Pandey.

The reworked legislative framework presents informants with a direct channel to approach Sebi and report insider trading concerns. It provides for setting up of an office of informant protection (OIP) by the Sebi which would, inter alia, (a) receive complaints through a voluntary information disclosure form (VIDF), (b) maintain a hotline for assisting potential informants, (c) act as a communication interface between Sebi and the informant, and (d) recommend monetary rewards for the informant.

Considering the economic sluggishness, tensions in West Asia and opposition to recent bills, this year’s Union budget provides an excellent opportunity for the government to restore confidence. Of late, India has seen a drop in consumer demand and lower GST collections; while unemployment and poor-quality of jobs remain the biggest pain points for the country’s youth. The government has in fact been working overtime to receive feedback from every stakeholder over the past few months. Come February 1, the country is hoping to see a more agile approach from the government in its pursuance of the $5 trillion target for India’s economy.

Since inception, Vistara has been struggling to get the right mix for its aircraft. The airline started with 16 Business Class, 36 Premium Economy and 96 Economy class. Within a year of operations, the airline started re-configuring its aircraft to 8 Business, 24 Premium Economy and 126 Economy class seats.

Yes Bank’s recent history has been checkered with a series of false hopes and promises. The management has gone on record time and again to provide assurances about the quality of the bank’s book as well as its ability to raise funds, but these have mostly been belied. Red flags about the bank’s quality of book are flying even higher now. The unease lies in the un-spelt reasons behind prominent private equity and other prominent investors walking away after initially weighing investments. Is there more than meets the eye?