Outlook Business September 2023

With Chandrayaan 3, India shed light on the darker side of moon in a televised landing, bringing back memories of the extravaganza around the exploits of Apollo 11 way back in 1969- But then it was a different world order defined by the Cold War, marked by state propaganda to drum up nationalism. A lunar mission became a key ingredient to stay ahead in the struggle for geo-supremacy. It was a symbol of America's power, whose potency could go beyond the globe. The nationalism playbook used to drum up fervour has remained unchanged through the ages. Scientific triumph, sporting glory are all tenets of that playbook. The Indian left and the West have decried India's space mission for ages, calling it wasteful expenditure when millions languish in poverty. But decades…

In today's typical workplace, the concept of multigenerational teams working alongside each other has become the norm. With distinct generational cohorts, including Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 - 1964), Generation X (1965 -1980), Millennial (19811994), and Gen Z (1995 2009), collaborating side by side, the workplace has transformed into an amalgamation of different experiences, perspectives, and skills. While having such a dynamic mix of employees has the potential to foster a rich cross-generational learning environment, effective communication and collaboration remain essential to navigate differences in work styles, communication preferences, and expectations. Hybrid Work: The Secret Sauce for Handling Multigenerational Teams Hybrid work has gained popularity as an approach to accommodate multigenerational teams due to its potential to address the diverse needs and preferences of employees from different age groups.…

THE UNCOUNTED INDIAN COVER STORY The government of India runs the world's biggest food security scheme, which provides free ration to more than 80 crore people. The scheme has won Prime Minister Narendra Modi accolades. But what if we realise that there are over 14 crore people who have been omitted from the benefit of this scheme because the government has not counted Indian citizens in over a decade? Can its intransigence break the welfare structure of governance? Kaagaz has become a crucial word for people in their struggle for daily survival as they look up to the government for succour when economy fails them. The 2021 movie Kaagaz, starring actor Pankaj Tripathi as Lai Bihari Singh from Uttar Pradesh, seems straight out of a rural Indian landscape, where bureaucracy pushes…

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) is not the only one affected by gaps caused by insufficient and outdated data. The Centre's National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) has subschemes targeted at individuals below the poverty line: Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme and Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme. As per a 2021 Parliamentary panel report on rural development, the targets set for these schemes are nearly exhausted, because of which no new names are being added. The National Family Benefit Scheme, where a BPL family gets a lumpsum amount of Rs 10,000 on the death of the breadwinner, and Annapurna scheme that provides 10 kilogrammes of food grain for free to eligible senior citizens who have been left out of the old…

National Food Security Act ■ 35 kg of subsidised foodgrain per month at Rs 3 per kg for wheat and Rs 2 per kg for rice, besides 1 kg of sugar for Rs.18.50 to the poorest of poor families under Antyodaya Anna Yojana ■ 5 kg of food grains per person per month, with wheat, rice and coarse grains priced at Rs 3, Rs 2 and Re 1 respectively for remaining priority households Indira Gandhi National OldAge Pension Monthly pension of Rs 200 up to 79 years of age, and Rs 500 thereafter Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Monthly pension of Rs 200 for beneficiaries aged 40-59 years Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Monthly pension of Rs 300 for beneficiaries aged 18-79 years; Rs 500 for those aged 80 or…

Mutual funds and fixed deposits have been popular investment options in the Indian financial ecosystem. These choices give people a way to increase their financial security while skilfully controlling risk. To make wise choices, it is necessary to thoroughly analyse the unique characteristics and implications associated with each investmenfvehicle. With a focus on their merits and demerits in the Indian context, this article seeks to provide an in-depth analysis of how debt mutual fund stacks up against the other traditional options available. Interest Rate It is widely assumed that interest rates have peaked out in the current economic situation and is expected to go down in the future. This has serious consequences for an investor looking to make a debt investment. If the interest fates are headed lower, then at…