No cities of joy: Hamsa Research Group survey

This poll, carried out in late 1993 in Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta, Madras, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Cochin shows that the urban Indian sees no cause for joy at the moment. The study shows that 66 per cent feel prices now are worse than what prevailed three months ago. The ability to buy and save is also perceived as being worse now. The major problems facing the country are perceived as (percentage of respondents in brackets): political instability (36); unemployment (34); fundamentalism (32); population (31); corruption (28). The city where the mood is definitely not upbeat is Bombay… the city has not recovered from the traumas of the communal riots, the blasts…

Pearl culture breaks out of its shell

Tuticorin is poised to become a major foreign exchange earner through the sale of ‘cultured pearls’ thanks to the efforts of scientists at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. CMFRI’s new technology has made it possible to produce pearl oyster seed by the hatchery method and farm the oysters at sea. This breakthrough will now take pearl oysters to waters other than the traditional regions of Gulf of Mannar on the south-east coast and the Gulf of Kutch on the north-west coast.

A case for pension with profit

To make pension funds more popular, the Malhotra Committee has suggested full tax exemptions. A workable alternative will be to allow more freedom of investment to pension funds and also exempt them from tax. This will enable an insurance company to obtain better yields on investment, introduce ‘with profit pension’ plans and periodically pay cash bonus to pensioners.

Related Topics