Old pension scheme — discontinued at the Centre in 2003 — was not part of economic resolution passed at All India Congress Committee (AICC) plenary in Raipur.
Discontinued by Vajpayee in 2003, OPS issue has especially gained urgency after BJP lost Himachal assembly election to Congress last year. Restoring OPS was key poll promise of Congress.
Despite RBI warnings, states like Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh & Punjab have already brought back the scheme, which was replaced by a new one by then NDA govt in 2004.
States have seen stronger revenues and have been prudent with their expenditure, leading to better deficit ratios. But capex needs to increase & debt needs to reduce.
The Italian term sprezzatura—a studied nonchalance that conceals intention—best captures the spirit of Trump’s foreign policy so far. The pattern is unpredictability, transactionalism, and disruption as diplomacy.
With 20.2 percent of its total loans in default by the end of last year, Bangladesh had the weakest banking system in Asia. Despite reforms, it will take time to recover.
This world is being restructured and redrawn by one man, and what’s his power? It’s not his formidable military. It’s trade. With China, it turned on him.
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