DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

03 July, 2020
3 Min Read

Core’s contraction: On slowing economy

Context

# Output in the eight core industries suffered an overall contraction for a third straight month in May, shrinking 23.4%, as the pandemic-induced lockdown kept large parts of the economy shuttered, the Commerce Ministry’s provisional figures show.

Core Sector Data

# Of the eight, all but one posted declines in production compared with a year earlier, with six sectors witnessing double-digit drops.

# Except fertilizers, all other sectors have shown decline.

# Steel and cement were the worst hit, slumping 48.4% and 22.2%, respectively, as construction activity and infrastructure projects remained mostly stalled.

# Refinery products, with the largest weight in the index contributing 28%, contracted 21.3% as the curbs on vehicular movement stymied demand for automobile fuels.

# And crude oil and natural gas continued their slide adding to the problems dogging India’s hydrocarbon exploration and production industry.

# Coal production also fell for a second straight month, declining 14%, as the lack of demand for electricity from the nation’s factories depressed power production as well as the need for the key thermal plant fuel.

# Output of electricity fell 15.6%, a slight improvement from April’s 23% slump, aided by the partial easing of restrictions and peak summer consumption by households.

# The only silver lining came from the fertilizer industry, as production rose 7.5% reversing the slump seen in the preceding two months and signalling robust activity in the agricultural sector at the start of the Kharif season.

# A promising and early start to this year’s monsoon bodes well for the crucial farm income-dependent rural economy.

# The above-average quantity and improved spatial distribution of rainfall in June have spurred a sharp jump in kharif sowing, with the area sown as on June 26 more than doubling compared with a year earlier to 315.6 lakh hectares.

# Also, there is a danger to the farm sector, especially in western, central and northern India this year from locust swarms.

# The Food and Agriculture Organization had in its June 27 update warned that India would need to remain on high alert through July for the possible arrival of swarms from northern Africa.

# The latest PMI data from researcher IHS Markit also paints a less than promising outlook for manufacturing, which contracted again in June albeit at a softer pace.

Source: TH

Join Our Telegram

Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

World bank logistic performance index 2023

28 Apr, 23
SHARE

World bank logistic performance index 2023 India is now ranked 38th out of 139 nations in the Logistic Performance Index (LPI) 2023 of the World Bank. From its previous rankings of 44th in 2018 and 54th in 2014, this is a notable improvement. Earlier, the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) Report 2022 was published by the Mini

Smuggling of Gold

28 Apr, 23
SHARE

Smuggling of Gold Airports discovered more than 63% of this illegal gold. The Department of Revenue Intelligence recently conducted the Golden Dawn Operation across India, seizing 101.7 kg of illegal gold valued at Rs 51 crore. Despite the fact that India receives a legal import of about 800-1,000 tonnes of gold each year, the illicit mar

India-Thailand Relations

27 Apr, 23
SHARE

India-Thailand Relations Both parties expressed satisfaction with the ongoing bilateral defence cooperation at the 8th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue, which was held in Bangkok, Thailand. Cultural ties and mutual cooperation that have been shaped by thousands of years of lasting historical and cultural ties characterise India and Thailand

Translocation of Elephants

27 Apr, 23
SHARE

Translocation of Elephants The Kerala government's appeal of the order of the Kerala High Court is rejected by the Supreme Court. The Kerala government's appeal against the Kerala High Court's directive to move Arikomban (Wild Elephant), the "rice tusker" of Munnar, to the Parambikulam tiger reserve was recently dismis

Global Buddhist Summit

26 Apr, 23
SHARE

Global Buddhist Summit In order to improve diplomatic and cultural ties with other nations, the Ministry of Culture recently organised the First Global Buddhist Summit 2023 in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC). About the summit "Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis" is