Poverty Financial News

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Toby Rice made his fortune unlocking a gusher of natural gas in Appalachia. He has a bold new ambition: bringing energy to millions of people in impoverished nations.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.In a reminder that the inflation beast is never fully tamed, but can at best be forced to retreat temporarily, wholesale price inflation in India jumped to a 42-month high of 8.3% in April. That’s more than double the previous month’s 3.9% and a far cry from the 0.9% recorded a year ago. The longer global oil supply remains disrupted, the likelier it will go into double digits.And with diesel and petrol filling-station prices hiked only in May (and more hikes likely), it is just a matter of time before retail inflation, already at a 13-month high of 3.5% in April, increases.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.In his first speech as chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Joseph Vijay said in Tamil, “I have known poverty; I’ve known hunger. I am not from some royalty.” This whole country seems to be filled with self-made men. Except that most of them may not be at all.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Ten years ago, only two or three students from a class of 30 would pass the class 10 board exam at this government school. Today, only two or three from a class of 60 do not.The class has grown because the school changed. As the class 10 board results were transformed, parents began moving their children here from other schools—mostly private ones.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Recent months have seen worker protests across states. Workers protested low wages and poor work conditions in an IOCL factory in Barauni, Bihar, in February. This was followed by protests in Surat, Gujarat.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Among the worst analyses of human nature is the notion that poverty creates criminal behaviour. Yet, this is a popular perception. As a result, every time an agitation of the poor turns violent, the rich think they know what is going on.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Two data releases on 13 April held important messages for the government on ensuring food security and shielding the livelihood of citizens. First, inflation estimates released by India’s ministry of statistics for March suggest food inflation is rising faster than overall inflation. Second, early monsoon forecasts point to a high likelihood of deficient rains in 2026.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. In India today, statistics are no longer confined to official reports or technical briefings. Employment numbers trend on TV.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Chapter 10 of India’s Economic Survey 2025-26 provides a comprehensive summary of New Delhi’s climate and related initiatives.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered her ninth consecutive Union Budget speech on Sunday, at a time when global geo-economic upheavals weigh on India. While each Budget speech reflects the economic context of its moment, its emphasis and vocabulary also shift over time.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. IN THE BARRIO of Iztapalapa, on Mexico City’s eastern flank, the pavements stay busy even in the punishing afternoon sun. Street vendors hawk snacks from metal carts; waiters from corner taquerías weave between tables and traffic; cashiers in the ubiquitous convenience stores ring up a steady stream of small purchases.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Panna, Madhya Pradesh: This place is a magnet for troubled souls," said Ram Kumar Gupta. “You wouldn’t be here if life was smooth." Gupta spoke on the condition that no photos or videos would be shot.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Why do we celebrate 26 January? A general survey will present a divided view. Some see it as a routine government event, while others associate it with the nation’s pride and honour.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. 2026 is a very significant year for India’s economy. The Union Budget will matter, of course, but the Eighth Pay Commission and the Sixteenth Finance Commission are the most consequential milestones to watch.

India’s economy was under $1 trillion when its rural job-guarantee scheme was launched in 2006. Now it’s four times that size. By turning the Indian state into an employer of last resort, it created a useful safety net.

I am glad that Homebound’s shortlisting for an Oscar nomination gives me an opportunity to say something tangential. Modern poverty, even if it comes with a smartphone, is worse than ancient poverty. The film, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, and written by him with Shreedhar Dubey and Varun Grover, shows two young men trying to escape poverty through the processes that India tells its young will save them.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. US President Donald Trump is showing America’s trading partners no mercy. If they export a lot to the US, it will tariff them back—by half.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. By its own estimate, the Indian government expects the economy to close 2024-25 with an expansion of 6.4%. That would make India one of the fastest-growing economies, but it’s still some way from maximising its unique demographic moment.

Sultana Begum, the great-granddaughter-in-law of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, is a living example. Once part of a royal lineage, Sultana now lives in a cramped hut on the outskirts of Kolkata, a world away from the luxury her ancestors once knew, as revealed in a TOI report.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Earlier this year, the National Statistical Office (NSO) released the report for the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) for the period August 2023 to July 2024. This is the second in the series of HCES data after the HCES 2022-23, for which a fact sheet was released just before the announcement of general elections in 2024.

'Badalna padega, saahab… warna kuch badal nahi payega!' — Swades 'Koi bhi desh perfect nahi hota, usse behtar banana padta hai!' — Rang De Basanti Are Indian businesses truly giving back to society, or are they merely ticking a regulatory box? Why do most large Indian companies spend their CSR budgets on projects that reflect the personal interests of their promoter families? And could strategic tax breaks make even the hardest-nosed corporations more generous and genuine towards social causes? In 2022-23, nearly 24,500 companies contributed around ₹30,000 cr to CSR, with most funds directed towards education and healthcare. Maharashtra and Karnataka were the top two beneficiary states, likely due to the concentration of large corporate headquarters in Maharashtra.