...India needs to work much harder for sustained growth Global investment bank Goldman Sachs has suggested that the Indian economy has the potential to grow 40 times bigger by 2050. But there is a caveat. It has to work much harder to achieve its potential. India has been able to maintain a growth of 9 per cent in the last couple of years. But some argue that it may be linked to overall growth in the global economy rather than to the strength of India's macroeconomic fundamentals.

Here's what the government must do to tackle inflation Bhaskar Dutta Warwick: I wrote in this column a couple of months ago that the rate of inflation had just crossed 7 per cent, and went on to add that this was the highest price rise witnessed in the previous 40 months. There was an air of acute despair amongst top Congress leaders since no easy options seemed to be available to the government to control the surge in prices of a wide range of commodities, including most unfortunately staple food items.

Oil crisis is changing business practices and lifestyles High oil prices affect everybody, from the poor man to the captain of industry. In India, the government has not passed on the increase in the price of crude to consumers fully, but double-digit inflation has meant that everybody is bearing the brunt in one way or another. Therefore, everyone should do what they can to ease the burden.

Sources have claimed that Sonia fully appreciated the concern of allies, there was no mistaking that the tough anti-early-polls position suits Congress. It is in no better shape to face an election and would not like to risk that for the nuclear deal, but is hamstrung to admit so for the fear of contradicting the PM in public.

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party, whose role could be crucial in a trial of strength in the Lok Sabha in case Left parties withdraw support to the UPA government at the Centre, on Monday kept its cards close to the chest on its stand saying a meeting of the UNPA will be convened soon to discuss the nuclear deal issue. "We are in touch with leaders of UNPA allies and a date will be fixed soon according to the convenience of all including SP general secretary Amar Singh who is currently on a foreign tour,' SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav told reporters here.

Bhaskar Roy Facing the prospect of the UPA government's sudden collapse as a consequence of inking the India-US nuclear deal, the allies on Monday brought pressure on the Congress leadership to prevent such a fallout and pointed to more urgent issues like prices and oil market volatility.

Cartoon

Canberra: India on Monday said its commitment to nonproliferation is "second to none' and the issue of procuring uranium from Australia will come up once it firms up an international arrangement for nuclear commerce. External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, who met his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith here, also said it was "too early' to refer to the issue of uranium sale as political discussions back home on implementing the Indo-US nuclear deal were still on.

Forward movement on the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project has failed to enhance the UPA government's comfort level with the Left parties even though they have welcomed it.

Met Says Spell Of Scanty Rainfall Usual, It Will Be A Wet Weekend The city is again on a boil with negligible rainfall and high levels of humidity making the heat seem more oppressive than the actual reading. And if you're wondering whether monsoon has taken a break, here's what the Met office has to say.