Must Read News Articles – February 22

The Hindu

Front Page / NATIONAL

India, Rwanda sign aviation, visa deals: India and Rwanda have concluded a bilateral air services agreement enabling direct flights between the two countries.

Editorial/OPINION

The Saeed test: The flurry of actions by the Pakistan government on Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed gives the impression of movement on an issue that has been a point of contention between India and Pakistan.

Necessary limit: Price control for cardiac stents is inevitable to promote access to treatments.

Economy

Private sector gratuity to soar: Workers in private firms could see maximum payout double to Rs. 20 lakh.

India, Japan ink pact on rail safety: India signed an agreement with Japan last week on enhancing railway safety in the Indian Railways with focus on railway track and rolling stock safety.

Withdrawal of funds from EPF to get easier: Banking on your provident fund savings for critical contingencies will now become far simpler with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) introducing a single page composite form for such withdrawals before retirement age.

Indian Express

No half measures: To address rising NPAs, consider divesting government holdings in state-owned banks, including by strategic sales.

Live Mint

Decoding the direction of monetary policy: The committee is now aiming to reach a position where it is able to maintain inflation close to 4%.

Quest to widen direct tax net: There is need to drastically reduce the income tax exemption slab; say, down to Rs1 lakh from the current minimum threshold of Rs2.5 lakh.

Technology’s benefits for crop insurance: It can provide a more detailed picture of risk at a farm level without the costs of collecting data manually.