Plan and Policy

India is tightening quality controls for consumer and capital goods, officials say, a move that follows calls to curb cheap imports from China amid diplomatic tensions between the world’s two most populous nations over their shared border.

The new rules target toys, electronic goods, machinery, food processing, construction and chemicals, sectors dominated by China, and come amid greater scrutiny of mainland firms looking to enter India’s multi-billion dollar power transmission and telecom business.

The CBI on Wednesday said it would look into the “facts and circumstances” of the Bofors scam mentioned by private detective Michael Hershmam (in pics), who alleged that the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress government had sabotaged his investigation.

A day after the Jharkhand government ordered a probe into alleged starvation deaths due to denial of ration, the Centre has also asked its officials to inquire into the allegation.

 Taking strong exception to the incident, food minister Ramvilas Paswan has asked the Union food secretary to probe into the alleged starvation death in Simdega district of Jharkhand.

Union minister Smriti Irani today sought to put the Congress in the dock on the Bofors issue, citing claims of a private investigator involved in its probe, and asked it to come clean on the involvement of its leaders in the alleged scam.

Targeting the opposition party, she told reporters that its leaders, including its chief Sonia Gandhi, have been shown to be too eager to grab undue benefits whether it is a matter of an air ticket upgrade or a scam like the Bofors deal.

President Xi Jinping today assured China's jittery neighbours that Beijing is ready to resolve its disputes through dialogue but not at the expense of its strategic interests, as he opened a key meeting of the ruling Communist party elite that will boost his grip on power with a second term and even an unprecedented third innings.

India is tightening quality controls for consumer and capital goods, officials say, a move that follows calls to curb cheap imports from China amid diplomatic tensions between the world’s two most populous nations over their shared border.

Delhi’s air quality, which has entered the red zone, may trigger an increase in the parking fee for vehicles by up to four times in the next few days. The measure, if required, will be enforced under the Graded Response Action Plan, under which a series of measures will be taken based on the severity of air pollution in winter. Measures under the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories of the plan came into force on Tuesday, under which the Badarpur thermal power plant has been closed and diesel generator sets have been banned in Delhi among other actions.

India is likely to stick to its fiscal deficit target of 3.2 per cent of GDP, and may accelerate sales of government stakes in lend­ers and other firms as part of an effort to recapitalise ba­nks, an adviser to the prime minister said on Tuesday.

Prime minister Narendra Modi’s government has already used up nearly all of its budget for the current financial year and tax revenues are expected to fall far short of initial expectations. At the same time economic growth has slowed, sparking calls for more stimulus.

This close to India’s glittering festive season, the cash register at Neha Tandon’s clothes store should be working overtime as revellers snap up elegant sarees for Diwali celebrations and lavish wedding parties.

But the traditional spending sprees have not transpired this festival season, the first since a sudden recall of India’s high-value banknotes sent shockwaves through Asia’s third-largest economy.