Gold Chain

 The digital revolution in India effectively started from July 2015  with the embarkement of digital India programme designed to transform the country into a digitally  empowered and knowledge based economy buttresed by three main pillars  namely robust digital infrastructure, empowered citizens promoting digital financial inclusion and accessibility of government policy and services. According  State of India's Digital Economy Report 2024 India is the third largest digitalised country in the world  and is expected to grow grow almost twice as fast as the overall economy expected to contribute 20% of GDP (national income) by 2029.Under digitalization programme major  programs include initiatives like  Common Service Centers (CSCs) that have provided services including e- governance, education, health care and banking facilities especially to marginalised sections. Programs for technological development and market expansion in semiconductor fabs,di...

 GLOBAL POPULATION  Sincere Country wise estimate of population showed that in 2025 India's elevated position as the largest populated country with an estimated population 1,463,865,525 people,  was followed by China with 1,416,096,094,USA 347,275,807 and Indonesia 285,721,236.As per the  2025 estimate of  world population projected amounts to 8.2 billion (8226,758,730).While total fertility rate for India is estimated as 2.01 it is only1.18 for China and 1.66 for USA. Globally despite growth  in population  has slowed  down but the  disparities between high income and low income countries still persists.Understanding demographic changes are vital for developing social and economic infrastructure , health planning, welfare pension planning and budgetary allocations. UNFPA (United Nations Fund for Population Activities) report on the State of world population examined the state of bodily autonomy and reproductive choice across the globe. The s...

 GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) ESTIMATES 2024-25  National Statistics offfice of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme implementation has recently released Provisional GDP estimates for 2024- 25 and quarterly  estimate for the fourth quarter Q4 for the period January- March 2025. It has been observed that the GDP growth estimated for the full year 2024-25 was 6.5% the slowest since the pandemic Covid19 period. In 2021- 22  GDP growth was 9.7%,which fluctuated to7.6% in 2022-23  and further rose to9.2% in 2023-24.The fourth quarter of Q4  period of January-March in the Fy 2024 -25  scored maximum growth rate of 7.4%,which is still lesser than 8.4% achieved in Q4 of 2023-24. GDP growth at constant prices is estimated  to reach ₹187.97 lakh crores in 2024-25 as against ₹176.51 lakh crores  in the first revised estimate (FRE) of GDP for Financial year 2023-24. Similarly Gross Value  Added (GVA ) is estimated to be ₹171.87 lakh crores in 20...

INWARD REMITTANCES  Inflow of remittances or personal income transfers  associated with migration is considered to be the most important safety valve available to many  economies across the  world. Inward remittances made by Indian diaspora abroad has been a major source of  foreign exchange earnings to strengthen our balance of Payments position, foriegn exchange reserves and external sector.  In recent  years particularly inward remittances exceeded  more than FDI flows to thecountry.As per the recent Remittances Survey conducted by RBI team for the period 2023-24 it  indicated a major breakthrough that the share of India's Inward remittances from advanced economies has risen surpassing that of traditional Gulf cooperation countries (GCC).That is pointing towards a  new shift in emigration patterns with more skilled and qualified Indian emigrants incresingly searching for employment in advanced economies. State wise distribution of...

 FTAs FreecTrade Agreements (FTAs)  are reached between two or more countries in order to eliminate Trade barriers both tariff and non tariff barriers to make Trade and business smooth across  national borders. FTA s  between countries can cover Trade in goods, trade in services, investment and intellectual property Rights. FTAs can be either bilateral or multilateral depending on whether two or more countries agreed to the Trade Agreement. At the same time each member can retain its own trade and tariff restrictions and commercial policies With non member countries as per their discretion and benefit.  FTAs AND INDIA  India has signed 13 regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) in addition to bilateral Trade Agreements or FTAs with various groups,individual countries namely Japan, South Korea,UAE and United Kingdom  UK. Indo-Japan comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed in 2011 resulted in positive, negative and mixed impacts on both trade ...

 Global currency market  witnessed voltatility in recent days due to first time sharp surge in the value of Asian currencies putting severe pressure on US dollar. The  Taiwan dollar performed particularly  well against US dollar fuelling speculation that the appreciation may ultimately  even lead to evolving a regional strategy in order  to gain trade concessions from the USA. Apart from Taiwan dollar the Chinese yuan,Malaysian Ringitt,Japanese Yen,Australian dollar  all have strengthened, leading to a major breakthrough through shifts  in  both  capital flows and investor preference. The rise in currencies recorded for the last one month has indicated that Chinese  currency appreciated 1.25%,Japan 3.24,Korea 4.94, Taiwan 8.24,India 1.63,Thailand 5.6,Indonesia 1.68,Philippines 3.66,Singapore 4.55,and Vietnam -0.65.Taiwan has been experiencing piling up of US dollar through its trade surplus primarily through export of  semicond...