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Fine-print of India’s improved EoDB ranking is disturbing, Start Ups faltering

Published

9 years ago

November 1, 2017

Fine-print of India’s improved EoDB ranking is disturbing, Start Ups faltering

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Despite PM Narendra Modi’s Start Up India initiative, World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings show starting new business in India is becoming difficult

As India finished at the 100^th spot – improving from last year’s 130 – in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings for 190 countries that were surveyed, it was only natural for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and finance minister Arun Jaitley to pat their backs on the supposed endorsement of their handling of the country’s economy.

Access the World Bank’s EoDB rankings report here:

http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings

The EoDB rankings declared on Tuesday are no doubt a shot in the arm for a government that, for a better part of the past year, has been struggling to justify its economic policies and counter growing criticism over a perceived slump in investor sentiment and job creation. Yet, they also portray another reality; one which doesn’t bode well for the Modi government nor justify the premature celebrations over what the Prime Minister termed as a “historic jump”.

For starters, the survey factors in the ease of doing business only in Mumbai and Delhi while Tier I and Tier II cities which are proposed to emerge as the new business centres of India have not been surveyed in the ‘Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs’ report that was released on Tuesday by Annexte Dixon, World Bank vice president for the South Asia region. Considering that the national and financial capital are already choked with existing industries and businesses, the exclusion of Tier I and Tier II cities from across the country should in itself be reason enough to not see India’s improved ranking as a comprehensive endorsement of the overall EoDB scenario across the country.

Dixon attributes the “significant jump” in India’s ranking to “the Indian government’s consistent efforts over the past few years and India’s endeavor to strengthen its position as a preferred place to do business”. The report acknowledges improvements in indicators such as resolving insolvency, paying taxes, protecting minority investors and getting credit as the reasons behind the improvement in India’s ranking.

However, the report skips factoring in disruptions caused in businesses and the overall Indian economy due to two of the biggest and most controversial ‘reforms’ rolled out in the country by the Modi government – demonetisation and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

While demonetisation, which flushed out 86 per cent of the cash in circulation from the economic in one single stroke and paralysed the economy, especially in the informal sector, for months, was a decision unique to India and so found no mention in the World Bank report, the EoDB survey was completed a month prior to the GST rollout and hence disruptions caused by the new tax regime were also not factored in while deciding India’s ranking.

Economists within India and abroad, as also Opposition leaders, have hit out at the Modi government over the negative impact of demonetisation and the hasty implementation of the GST regime. However, with the two contentious ‘reforms’ finding no mention among the EoDB parameters, it would perhaps not be wholly incorrect to assume that the rankings do not reflect the impact that they have had on businesses in India.

Comparative rankings of India of the current and previous year in the 10 categories on which countries were ranked. Photo credit: Business Line

Another aspect of the report that cannot be brushed aside is the fact that the rankings come as an endorsement of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s charge against the Modi of his government having made it more difficult to start new businesses in India despite the Prime Minister’s pet Start Up India initiative.

Of the 10 broad parameters that the EoDB rankings are based on, three are clearly linked with starting of new business and in each of these parameters, India has slipped from its rankings of the previous year. For instance while on the parameter of ‘starting a business’, the need for Indian entrepreneurs to go through 12 procedures to start a business, as opposed to five in high-income countries, worsened India’s ranking in the category to 156 from 155 last year – out of a total of 190 countries.

A majority of new ventures also need to register their official property that they plan to use as the venue for their business. In the category of ‘Registering property’, India marked its biggest decline, slipping from a rank of 138 last year to 154 in the current year. New ventures also need electricity supply and on that count too, India has slipped although the country’s overall ranking in the category of ‘getting electricity connection’ is better than nearly 70 per cent of the countries that were surveyed. With a 45-day period needed to get a new electricity connection, India ranked 29 in this category as against its previous ranking of 26.

The parameters where the country seems to have done well, marginally or substantially, are all that apply to existing business, be it categories like ‘enforcing contracts’ and ‘resolving insolvency’ or ‘paying taxes’. What the Modi government needs to do, if it really is serious about its Start Up India initiative, is to also make setting up of new business – and not just in Mumbai or Delhi but elsewhere in India too – a much less cumbersome process.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Yogi Adityanath takes a dig at Akhilesh Yadav over Ram Temple visit plan

Yogi Adityanath’s remarks came after the Samajwadi Party announced that Akhilesh Yadav would visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on December 12.

Published

1 hour ago

November 7, 2026

APNLive Desk

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday took an apparent swipe at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over his planned visit to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, saying those who had fired on Ram devotees should first apologise to them and to the saints.

Yogi made the remarks while addressing the 10th edition of Deepotsav in Ayodhya. He did not name Akhilesh Yadav directly.

Yogi’s remarks come after Akhilesh’s Ayodhya visit plan

The chief minister’s comments came after the Samajwadi Party announced that Akhilesh Yadav would visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on December 12. It would be his first visit to the temple since its inauguration, according to the report.

Yogi said those who had earlier neglected and insulted Ayodhya, opened fire on Ram devotees and subjected saints to lathicharge should come to the city only after seeking forgiveness.

“Let them apologise to the devotees of Lord Ram; let them apologise to the saints,” Yogi said, adding that they should repent for their past actions.

Reference to 1990 firing on kar sevaks

Yogi’s remarks referred to the 1990 police firing on kar sevaks during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. At the time, the Uttar Pradesh government was headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav’s father.

The chief minister said those who had once “bloodied” Ayodhya were now remembering the city. He also criticised political leaders over their conduct at religious gatherings, referring to the decorum of a katha.

Akhilesh has not yet visited the Ram Temple

Akhilesh Yadav has visited Ayodhya earlier but has not so far visited the Ram Temple. The SP leader was in the city on October 8 to attend a Bhagwat Katha organised by party leader Pawan Pandey.

According to the report, Akhilesh and his wife, Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav, are scheduled to offer prayers at the Ram Temple and Hanumangarhi on December 12.

The planned visit comes amid political activity in Ayodhya ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due by February 2027.

Yogi highlights Ayodhya’s transformation

During his Deepotsav address, Yogi also spoke about the changes in Ayodhya and described the city’s transformation as an ideological victory.

He said those who had previously neglected Ayodhya were now witnessing its development. He also said Lord Ram represented India’s national consciousness, culture, values and self-respect.

The chief minister further recalled the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and said Ayodhya had regained the glory for which kar sevaks and saints had struggled.

India News

Ahead of Diwali, Yogi govt hikes DA by 5% for UP government staff

The Uttar Pradesh government has increased Dearness Allowance by 5 percentage points, taking it from 58% to 63%. The revised rate will benefit lakhs of eligible employees ahead of Diwali.

Published

1 hour ago

November 7, 2026

APNLive Desk

The Uttar Pradesh government has announced a 5 per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees ahead of Diwali. With this revision, the DA rate has increased from 58 per cent to 63 per cent, providing financial relief to lakhs of eligible employees across the state.

The revised allowance will be effective from July 1, 2026, according to the government announcement. A government order was also issued on Saturday, November 7.

The enhanced DA will be paid along with employees’ regular November 2026 salaries.

Which employees will benefit from the DA hike?

The decision covers regular state government employees and several other categories of eligible staff.

These include employees of aided educational and technical institutions, regular and full-time employees of urban local bodies, work-charged employees and personnel drawing salaries under University Grants Commission (UGC) pay scales.

The revision is expected to benefit a large section of the Uttar Pradesh workforce ahead of the festive season.

What happens to the DA arrears?

The revised DA rate will apply retrospectively from July 1, 2026. Consequently, employees will also be entitled to arrears for the period preceding the November salary payment.

The government has made provisions for the payment of the arrears for July to October 2026. These amounts will be credited to employees’ provident fund accounts, according to the reported payment arrangements.

The enhanced allowance for November will be reflected in the regular salary for that month.

The decision comes ahead of Diwali and will provide additional financial relief to eligible government employees in Uttar Pradesh.

India News

Himanta Sarma to approach court over threat to gherao home in Zubeen case

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said his government would approach the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court over a threat to gherao his residence if two prime accused in the Zubeen Garg death case are granted bail.

Published

4 hours ago

November 7, 2026

APNLive Desk

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the state government would bring before the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court a threat by a group to gherao his residence in connection with the Zubeen Garg death case.

Speaking to reporters, Sarma described the threat as a serious matter, saying it posed a danger to his family and could amount to a direct attempt to murder.

The development comes ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on November 30 of the bail petitions filed by Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddhartha Sharma, the two prime accused in the case.

Why Himanta Sarma plans to approach the courts

Sarma said he had instructed the state government’s legal department to bring the matter to the notice of both the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court.

The Chief Minister objected to the group threatening to target his residence rather than holding a protest near the Chief Minister’s Office.

He said those questioning the judicial process should approach the Supreme Court or the high court instead of targeting him. Sarma also maintained that the courts should be allowed to carry out their work.

According to him, attempts to question the judicial process in this manner could obstruct the path of justice.

What the group said about the bail pleas

The Zubeen Garg Nyay Samiti, led by Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi, had announced on Thursday that it would gherao the Chief Minister’s residence under certain circumstances.

The group said it would carry out the protest if Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddhartha Sharma were granted bail or if the Assam government failed to mount an effective legal opposition to their bail pleas.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the bail petitions of the two accused on November 30.

Bail granted to two accused in the case

The Gauhati High Court granted bail to singer Amritprava Mahanta, an accused in the Zubeen Garg death case, on October 9. She was granted bail against a bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of the same amount.

The high court has also granted bail to Sandipan Garg in the case.

Referring to the bail order concerning Amritprava Mahanta, Sarma said it mentioned that 160 witnesses had not named her during the court hearing, despite having done so during the investigation conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Responding to questions over the development, Sarma said the witnesses should be questioned about the discrepancy rather than him.

What happened to Zubeen Garg?

Singer Zubeen Garg died in Singapore on September 19 last year while swimming in the sea.

Police in Singapore had said that no foul play was involved in his death. Garg had travelled to Singapore to attend the fourth edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF).