Signalling an overhaul of the appointments process for public sector companies, the government has opted to appoint a private sector representative to head the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB).
Tarun Bajaj is handling two crucial portfolios — economic affairs and revenue — at a time when the economy is recovering from the Covid shock. In an interview, the top finance ministry official told TOI that revenue collections have seen a surprise recovery, while the government has pushed spending during the last two months.
India’s diesel and petrol consumption posted a whopping growth of more than 27% in March from a year ago when a countrywide lockdown had washed out fuel demand by 70%.
India’s exports shot up by over 58% to $34 billion in March, led by a jump in engineering, garments, iron ore and pharma, while imports rose 53% to $48 billion. Trade deficit widened to over $14 billion in March 2021, compared to around $10 billion a year ago.
