Beyond Headlines: Recent Episodes
Beyond Headlines
Ecopolitical stories that have a direct bearing on the economy of the nation, which are discussed at length by Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava Business Editor of HW Business and Finance, bringing the truth behind the issues to the furore
The new corporate policy, pressure on targets have taken a toll on ethics. Consider the cases of Axis Bank's Shikha Sharma, Chanda Kochhar's mismanagement issues, Sun Pharma, and so on and so forth. For curbing this what we've been doing is we have been appointing corrupt administrators making it much like handling a key in the thief's hand. The question is will corrupt babus keep a check on corrupt corporates? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh bhargava, Business Editor of Business and Finance share their insights and takes on the matter.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi won in 3 states of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. His strategy was to tell people to vote Congress to power and the party will waive off the loans of the farmers. And he did that. The question is, if Congress has given such kinds of perks what will BJP offer in the General elections and where would this money of waiver come from? Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance shares his insights on the matter.
There was a recent verdict that convicted SC Gupta who was the coal minister during the UPA regime. He was convicted of corruption. He was in-charge for the screening process of coal-mining. But during his trial he maintained that he screened the licenses for the PM and it was the PM's call. The second thing he maintained that it was the Congress leaders who pressurised him to doll out licenses. The question is isn't it strange that the prime signatory who approved the licenses is to be held responsible? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
Arun Jaitley made a statement during DRI Foundation saying investigating officers should work diligently and should not aim for .limelight. But on the contrary, investigative officers have gone out to the media and dolled out information which they should not have. The question is are investigating officers trying to be celebrities? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights and take on the matter.
The culture of influence has been deeply rooted in Indian system. From children's school admission, bank loan to even basic amenities. In this episode of Beyond Headlines, our Managing Editor Mr. Sujit Nair and Business Editor Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava discuss how the disparity in influence leads to bigger problems like crony capitalism.
Chandrababu Naidu said he won't allow CBI, IT and ED to operate in Andhra Pradesh. People chose their sides, some being contended with the decision and some being critical of it. But this being said, what is the relevance of this decision? Is this decision going against the federation? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance shares his insights on the matter.
Recently in Atal Bihari Memorial Lecture, our finance minister Arun Jaitley stated that it is the politicians who are accountable and not the technocrats. But the question arises, that is Chidambaram not accountable for the NPAs that exist in the economy ? Is PM Modi not accountable for Nirav Modi'd escape? While the bureaucracy is to accomodate the finance minister, PM, and so on, where is the accountability? Mr. sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Networka and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava Business Editor of HW Business and Finance shares his insights on the matter.
Eversince the show of the scam of the 59-minute loan rolled out, HW News was flooded with a horde with questions. Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance answer the questions on the matter
India went 23 notches up on the index of ease of doing business. Still there's no foreign investment. Not one start up has grown the way Flipkart once did. So do these ratings and indices really matter? Aren't they looking good just in theory? Mr.Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
It was the Enforcement Directorate that flagged off the scam that was being carried out by Ambidant Marketing Pvt. Ltd. But institutes like SEBI did not pay heed to it. Now imagine the situation of the common man. If an institution like Enforcement Directorate is not paid heed to, will the common man as a whistleblower be heard? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, the Business Editor, share their takes and insights on the matter.
While the BJP has been giving excuses after excuses of bringing in demonetisation into the Indian Economy, is it not conceding the move to be a sheer failure? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance shares his insights on the matter.
1,198 cases have been registered so far with the NPAs, out of which mere 52 cases have been solved and we are counting for more NPA cases coming up. The question is where is this going to lead and where is it going to end? Why is the NPA not considered to be a crime in our country? With NCLT being clogged with so many NPA cases already, does the government have a backup plan and do we have a recovery mechanism? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
The company of IL&FS have been maintaining that they have the best management policies in place, they do not have any shell companies and they have the best credit ratings. More importantly, the company has the public money invested into it by the SBI and LIC. The question is, will this money bounce back to the general masses or would it go down the tube like in case of Air India? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
Our PM announced a 59-minute loan scheme for the Medium and Small Enterprises. He says you need to just log onto the website and in the next 59 minutes you would get your loan. The issue is today we are facing an NPA crisis of 10 lakh crores and counting. The question is with such kind of consumerism of loans, where are we headed to? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance shares his insights on the matter.
With capital gains on a constant high, tax collection on a constant surge, and cash flowing in the RBI, where is the liquidity and where is all the money? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network, Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
There's a target given to excise collection on liquor. There's a target given to excise collector on cigarettes. The question is if the governance is trying to turn the enforcement into a Gestavo. Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
While the United Kingdom has been reluctant on extraditing the economic offenders like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and so on and so forth, but when it comes to the other Indian migrants who have been staying there, the country wants them to be deported back here. What is with this double standard of the country? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
While the average Indian may be earning far lesser than what an average American may be making, it is the common man of India that saves at least 8 percent more than an average American. And this Indian goes and puts this money into the National Savings Fund Scheme. But how does the government return this favour? It uses this money to invest in a bankirupt company like Air India which is precisely what one may call dumping the money of the average Indian. How is it fair? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights and takes on the matter.
When IL&FS Vice-Chairman and Managing Director was caught red-handed for the murky business he was running, he moved the court saying he wanted foreign investigators to probe the case. Does he think that the Indian investigators are no good and what makes him think that there's a provision that he can choose from the choice of Indian and foreign investigators? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance shares his insights on the matter.
It was in August this year that CRISIL rated the IL&FS with the highest credit rating of AAA. Months after that the company was termed as junk. Organisations like LIC and SBI ended up making huge investments in IL&FS but nobody kept a check on that. While people invest their money in the National Savings Fund, the government ends up investing that money in Air India. And while we have an audit-body of CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) what it majorly does is making waves about the scams of certain political parties and not keep a check on such huge public investments that goes down the drain. The question here arises, is CAG becoming a political activist instead of an audit body? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their takes and insights on the matter.
Mutual Funds have been prevailing for the last 30 years in the country. And the Indian commoner goes and invests his money into it hoping that it will be taken good care of. But with all such losses, NPAs and so-called economic turmoil, the question is, are mutual funds really safe? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their takes and insights on the matter.
For quite some time, Urjit Patel, the RBI governor has kept quite on all the government actions. When it came to demonetisation, he kept quite. So much so, he did not even come up and give up the figures of demonetisation. But when it so happened that the government raised questions on Rupee value falling against the dollar, that's when he broke his silence. The question arises, has the governor RBI turned his back on Modi government? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
It was in July that IL&FS was given the highest credit rating of AAA. But now the company seems to be in the doldrums. Its CEO Ravi Parthasarthy has already flung the country quoting medical reasons. The SFIO has already sent a lookout notice for K Ramchand, Arun Kumar Saha and all the top executives of the IL&FS. But the more important question is that while is it obvious that the IL& FS was a quite mismanaged company right from its start, what is it that caused the scam? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
Last month in September, Prime Minister Modi asserted that the size of the Indian economy will double to $5 trillion in the next five-seven years. But what does this $5 trillion economy imply? Does it imply that every citizen of the country will have access to clean drinking water? Does it mean that every youth in the nation will be employed? Does it mean that every soul in the country will have two square meals? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
It was back in the year 2016 when the demonetization happened. But while this rigmarole of demonetisation happened, what also happened was the cash economy of the nation that deals completely in liquid money like the small businessmen, farmers and other small traders happened to be at the receiving end. What about the ones who have actually incurred losses instead of making profits? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of Business and Finance share their takes on the matter.
When there are promises made by a finance minister or the banking head regarding the economic issues and policies made for the citizens of any country, immediately the market reflects positively.
Unfortunately for India, the scene is drastically different, be it on the creation of jobs, uplifting the economy, bringing back the black money or GST. This government especially the Finance Ministers promises have been falling on deaf ears nor does the market reflect his words neither has it been able to gain confidence of the people of this country. Has Arun Jaitley and BJP lost its credibility? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter
The merger of Bank Of Baroda with Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank has been in the news for different reasons. Firstly, It is for the first time, that we will be witnessing a merger of three PSBs. Secondly, Vijaya Bank, one of the very few banks which posted a positive net profit is getting merged with a loss-making Dena bank. Why? Why do loss-making banks get decapitalized, merged with a good and profit-making bank? Why are these profit-making banks has to carry the carcasses of loss-making ones? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
Political involvement in the public and private sector have been ever increasing since last few years. Political money, Black money have been circulating in the system for a long time now. This circulation has impacted the Indian economy inversely. Interestingly the political money involved in the infrastructure, Jewel and Gem industry, Banks or any other sector or industry has only pushed it to the doldrums. The question is why such involvement? Why is then we blame other economic regulatory for any economic slowdown or slow growth of industries? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their take on the matter.
One of the most flamboyant willful defaulters Mr. Vijay Mallya claims to be meeting Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley before leaving India to settle the court and financial matters which is blatantly refused by the Finance Minister. Around this time a letter was sent to the former Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, according to which he had even met him before he became one the biggest defaulter of the nation. This puts a huge question on the system, how did he reach to such eminent people? Was it because he then was an influential businessman? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share the insiders on the matter.
Recently IMF(International Monetary Fund) declared that India is on right track to hold its position as one of the world's fastest growing economies in the world. The question here is if it really is the true picture of the economy of the country? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
While Jamshedpur as a city has been managed by the TATA's for the last 90 years the imperative question here seems to pop up that where instances like these demand private participation in managing public areas or cities, then why is there a need of government trying to take control of the smart cities when they fail to do so ? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
The Corporate Social Responsibility is meant to promote a feeling of giving back to the society in which a business thrives. Section 135 of the Indian Companies Act prescribes a mandatory CSR spend of 2% of average net profits of a company. However, the CSR has turned into a Brand Endorsement activity rather than societal development project. Corporates in India spend more on the advertising the CSR initiative than on the CSR activity. Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW News Network share their insights and take on the matter.
While crowdfunding is usually collected for a social cause, but the question here arises if is funding political parties for campaigning really a social cause to put in our money for? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW News Network share their insights and take on the matter.
A bankrupt entity is a failed enterprise, which should thus be liquidated and closed. But why that does not apply to PSBs and PSUs? Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance shares his insights on the matter.
While we have been optimistic so far about the governance, what we instead got was interference in laws, interferences in policies in the business which made the situation of young entrepreneur difficult to survive, and many such interferences that made daily lives of the citizen tough. Is this the kind of government and the governance that we had voted for in the year 2014? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their takes on the matter in the video
Since the nationalization of Indian banks in 1969, there were around 4,000crore of deposits. Now, India has 1lakh & 15crores of deposits. As the country marked 50th Anniversary of Bank Nationalization on 20th July, the questions are raised on the profit-making capability of Indian banking system. Mr. Sujit Nair Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights and discuss whether the government today is fit to manage a bank in the video.
While the ranking jointly prepared by the World Bank and DIPP on Ease of doing business in India, Andhra Pradesh shockingly ranks 1st, Telangana ranks 2nd, Haryana 3rd, Jharkhand ranks 4th and Maharashtra ranks 13th, a prominent question here arises as to what are these ratings all about and if these are really reliable and most importantly if at all authentic? Mr. Sujit Nair Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights and take on the matter in the video.
While the opposition to the present government in India is getting bad to worse coming up with illogical reason to support their arguments for the sake of opposing the policies put forth and implemented by the government, does it not prove that a bad opposition is as bad as a bad government? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
In an astonishing case, the founder of WPP, world's largest advertising and PR group, Sir Martin Sorrell's resignation came in amidst of allegations of him misusing the companies funds. the reason he faced such an outrage was that the funds misused were from the stakeholders. while he being the chairman was asked to leave could this same instance be possible in India? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their takes on the matter in the video.
As the case may be, it is the corporates that bribe the government officers, but the question here arises as to aren't the corporates equally responsible for the corruption happening in the country? Mr Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr Akhilesh Bhargava Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights and takes on the matter.
Ever since her interrogation by the CBI and the ED for her role in sanctioning loan to Videocon group the board that comprises the LIC chairman and the secretary, has constantly supported her and extended its backing to her and has given her a clean chit. Th question here crops up if the board of the bank is equally guilty as her? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their takes on the matter in the video
As we welcome 1st anniversary of GST on 1st July 2017, the question that comes by default is has GST helped the nation and the people? The question arises is if GST was needed then what went wrong? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their takes on the matter in this video.
Truth be told, lobbying is not termed to be an illegal act so far, but a more imperative question here arises that if business giants like Birla and Ambani can have lobbyists, why can't an employed professional have a lobbyists of his/her own? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their takes and insight on the matter in the video.
With 3.2 crore cases pending with the courts in India, the country seems to be having the most clogged law and order. But who is it that clogs our Indian law and order system? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
Farooq Shaikh Scam: With the government being conversant with the fact that Farooq Sheikh had underworld links, had violated the policies of Customs had laundered money among many other crimes that he had committed, why was not an effort taken to arrest him collectively and why it waited to make repeated arrests year after year? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava Business Editor of HW News Network, share their insights on the matter in the video
What has been the state of the economy in the year 2014 during the UPA regime is far different from what it is today. While the state of the economy was not all that good today it is quite better. But what will be its state during the year 2019? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW News Network share their insights on the matter in the video
While there have been informants who have been supplying information to the government and tax department, IRS department about hedging and laundering of money to evade taxes, the act is therefore termed legitimate as these informants and Khabris help the tax department to raid. But the question arises if this is the right way to go about it, or the government is being too desperate? Mr Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News and Mr Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights and takes on the matter in the video.
While the Modi government recently approved the decision to raise the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the Kharif season for 2018-2019, increasing the MSP for paddy by Rs. 200 per quintal, the BJP government claims it to be a boon for every farmer, while the opposition calls it a sham! But is this move really a boon? Mr. Sujit Nair Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their takes on the matter in this video.
With Arvind Subramanian the CEA or the Chief Economic Advisor quitting, the question here arises when he left what exactly he meant by his statement 'Stigmatized Capital' that he made at the time he left it? Are the bureaucrats scared to deal with private companies given a possible trail of investigation might follow them or their names might be tainted? Mr Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW News Network share their insights and takes on the matter in the video.
While it is known that the government directly or indirectly collects tax from the citizens, to build infrastructure, to make available better facilities, health care, the question here arises if the money collected by the government is put to good use or is it just spent on things like advertisement? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
While it is said that the government collected 15 and a half Lakh crore of money from the citizens as old notes to exchange them with new notes in the name of demonetization, the more potent question here is that has the amount been really available to people? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their takes and insights on the matter in this video.
It is strange that the government who is accountable of every single penny spent of the citizens, does not maintain a balance sheet or an Assets register which is why it doesn't have knowledge of its own assets, liabilities, creditors and debtors. So how is it that we the citizens of India are supposed to know about the misdeeds and mismanagement of the government? Mr Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr Akhilesh Yadav, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter in this video.
Why does product, services, infrastructure rendered or created by the Indian government has a tag of being poor or substandard? From IRCTC to Air India to banks? Mr.Sujit Nair Managing Editor
With the distress and the distrust among the people rising for the governments, it is the stakeholders of the government that fail to live to the expectations of the people while they are supposed to upkeep the rights of the masses. So what's more that has led to a larger quantum of distrust among the people for the existing governments? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their takes on the issue in this video.
With Mr. P Chidambaram being interrogated for straight 8 hours and since he did use his post to put the matter of Aircel Maxis case under the covers, the question that here crops up is will he be convicted of the scam or will he be let loose? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter
Ever since her interrogation by the CBI and the ED for her role in sanctioning loan to Videocon group the board that comprises the LIC chairman and the secretary, has constantly supported her and extended its backing to her and has given her a clean chit. Th question here crops up if the board of the bank is equally guilty as her? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their takes on the matter in the video
It was a year back that Cyrus Mistry had filed a petition with the National Company Law Tribunal against his dismissal from the TATA board. But why was he sacked in the first place is the more pertinent question that arises here. Was he posing a threat when he started to cast questions directly on the board regarding their moves in terms of investment or is it a different tale? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights on the matter.
With NRI fugitives like Nirav Modi, Mehul Chokshi, Lalit Modi, Vijay Mallya, Jatin Mehta in countries like Netherlands, Panama and so on, why is it that the U.K. is giving a red carpet welcome to these Indian fugitives? Mr. Sujit Nair, Managing Editor of HW News Network and Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava, Business Editor of HW Business and Finance share their insights and takes on the matter in this video.