The Biggest ET Magazine Looks at How Past Budgets Have Navigated Big Crises
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What Urban Don’t Say From Bedroom Tractor to India’s Senior Cheese, to Bergdorf: A Twitter p.09 Citizens Want Say Yogurt Cashmere Journey p.10 p.18 p.16 www.economictimes.com | New Delhi | 20 pages | `10 January 03-09, 2021 The Biggest ET Magazine looks at how past budgets have navigated big crises. Can the takeaways from them inform Budget 2021, the most crucial one in a generation? B p.03-07 SUNEESH K YOU, I & AI Artificial intelligence touches almost every part of our lives today. We should enjoy its convenience without taking it for granted p.12-14p.04-07 02 what’s news JANUARY 03-09, 2021 Ganguly Stable Five Cricket After Angioplasty, Bharat Biotech Vaccine Players in Says Doctor Isolation Kolkata: Former Indian skipper Steps Closer to Approval Melbourne/New Delhi: Five In- and the B oard of C ontrol for dia Test players, including vice- Cricket in India (BCCI) president he Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Biotech’s application and had not approved its Cov- captain Rohit Sharma, opener Sourav Ganguly on Saturday un- drug regulator on Saturday recommended axin jab and sought more interim efficacy data from Shubman Gill and wicketkeeper- derwent angioplasty and is stable Tgranting permission for restricted emergen- the company. batsman Ri shabh Pant , ha ve now, experts in the medical team cy use to an indigenously developed vaccine by The decision comes on a day when various states been placed in isolation and an said. Ganguly was Bharat Biotech, subject to conducted dr y runs for investigation launched into a admitted to a Kol- certain conditions. Thi s vaccination. Health Minis- possible breach of the Covid-19 kata hospital this came a day after the SEC ter Hars h Vardhan said bio-security protocol by them, afternoon after recommended condition- vaccines would be provid- Cricket Australia said on Satur- complaints of al use of the vaccine devel- ed free in the first phase of day. This was after a fan put out a chest pain. oped by Serum Institute of inoculation to the most video of the players sitting inside “Sourav Ganguly India (SII). prioritised beneficiaries, an indoor restaurant on Twitter is stable after un- The drug contr oller is including one c rore on Friday. He claimed to ha ve dergoing angioplasty. He is con- formally expected to give healthcare and two crore been seated close to them and scious and stable now. He has a his approval for both the frontline workers. He add- also talked about getting a hug minor cardiac issue while doing vaccines shortly. “The for- ed that details of how 27 from Pant after he paid for the some workout in his home gym- mal approval is likely to crore priority beneficiar- players’ meal. He later retracted nasium,” said Saroj Mondal, the come within 24 hours,” a ies — those above 50 years the claim about the hug after it head of medical team treating the senior official aware of the of age and those below it raised serious q uestions on a BCCI chief. “He underwent angi- matter told ET. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday having comorbidities — breach of protocol. visits an urban primary health centre in Delhi to as- ography and angioplasty. He is The health ministry said sess the preparedness of vaccine administration would be vaccinated until The BCCI brass had initiall y now stable. There are multiple is- in a statement: “The SEC July were being finalised. ruled out any investigation after sues for cardiac attack. He will be recommends grant of permission for restricted use Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the vac- reports of a possible breach first able to join hi s daily activities in emergency situation in public inter est as an cine will be provided free to people in Delhi. appeared in the media here, but soon.” Mondal is also heads the abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, espe- Cricket Australia’s late statement cardiology depar tment of the cially in the context of infection by mutant strain to “New Viral Strain Cultured” said a joint probe is on. —PTI state-run SSKM Hospital. Bharat Biotech,” India has successfully cultured the new viral strain, Sources said that there are two Bharat Biotech presented safety and immuno- the ICMR said, on Saturday. “SARS-CoV-2, the virus more blockages in his heart for genicity data of Phase-I, -II trials and additional causing Covid-19, was being tracked through a net- In A First, Senate which he will be treated. A stent safety data on 22,000 participants of their Phase-III work of ICMR laboratories,” it said. According to the insertion has been. — IANS trials before the panel on Saturday, the source said. ICMR, no country has yet reported successful isola- Overrides Trump In its meeting on Friday, the committee members tion and culture of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. Veto of Bill had differences of opinion in the SEC over Bharat —Teena Thacker/New Delhi Farmers Plan Washington: President Donald Trump suffered a stinging rebuke Delhi Tractor in the US Senate on Friday when Parade on Jan 26 fellow Republicans joined Demo- Exports Fall 0.8% in December crats to override a presidential New Delhi: Hardening their posi- New Delhi: Contracting for the third straight month, $364.18 billion in April-December 2019-20. “India is veto for the first time in his ten- tion ahead of the next round of India’s exports slipped marginally by 0.8% to $26.89 thus a net importer in December 2020, with a trade ure, pushing through a defense talks with the government, pro- billion in December 2020, due to decline in sectors like deficit of $15.71 billion, as compared to a trade deficit of policy bill he opposed just weeks testing farmer unions on Satur- petroleum, leather and marine products, as $12.49 billion, widened by 25.78%,” the min- before he leaves office. Meeting day said they will take out a trac- per the government data. istry said. in a rare New Year’s Day session, tor parade towards Delhi on Jan- The trade deficit in December widened to In December 2020, oil imports declined by senators voted 81-13 to secure the uary 26, on Republic Day, if their $15.71 billion, as impor ts grew by 7.6% to 10.37% to $9.61 billion. During April-Decem- two-thirds majority needed to demands are not met. Address- $42.6 billion, according to the preliminary Trade deficit ber, the imports dipped by 44.46% to $53.71 override the v eto. Republican ing a press conference, farmer data released by the commerce ministry on widens to billion, it added. lawmakers have largely stood by leader Darshan Pal Singh said Saturday. $ bn Major commodities of export which have the president during his turbu- their proposed parade will be Exports in December 2019 were $27.11 bil- 15.71 recorded positive growth during the month lent White House term. In anoth- called Kisan Parade and it will be lion, while imports stood at $39.5 billion. In November under review included oil meals (192.60%), iron ore er setback for Trump, a judge re- held after the Republic Day pa- 2020, exports were down by 8.74%. In April-December (69.26%), carpet (21.12%), pharmaceuticals (17.44%), jected a lawsuit filed by a Texas rade. The next round of talks be- 2020-21, the country’s merchandise exports contract- spices (17.06%), electronic goods (16.44%), fruits and lawmaker and other Republicans tween the government and pro- ed by 15.8% to $200.55 billion, against $238.27 billion in vegetables (12.82%), and chemicals (10.73%). Sectors against V ice Pr esident Mik e testing farmer unions is sched- the corresponding period of the last fiscal year. that registered negative growth include petroleum Pence seeking to overturn Demo- uled to be held on January 4. Imports during the nine months of the current fiscal products (-40.47%), oil Seeds (-31.80%), leather and cratic President-elect Joe Biden’s —PTI year declined by 29.08% to $258.29 billion, as against leather manufactures (-17.74%). —PTI win. —PTI China Warns of Retaliation for NYSE’s Delisting of Companies Beijing: China said on Saturday it would take panies to be suspended sometime bet ween the so-called ‘Communist “greatly weaken all parties’ confidence in the necessary countermeasures in response to the January 7 and 11. The move stems from an ex- China Military Companies’ US capital market,” the statement said. New York Stock Exchange’s announcement ecutive order President Donald Trump issued list and will take the neces- The ministry did not offer details on what that would delist three major Chinese tele - on November 12 barring investment in pub- sary countermeasures to the measures might be. coms, in the latest flare-up of tensions between licly traded companies that the US govern- resolutely safeguard the le- Under Trump, the US has stepped up eco- Beijing and Washington. ment says are owned or controlled by gitimate rights and interests of nomic sanctions and travel bans against Chi- The stock exchange said Thursday that Chi- the Chinese military. Chinese companies,” a spokes- nese companies, government officials and na Telecom Corp Ltd, China Mobile Ltd and “China opposes the Americans person for the Chinese C om- Communist Party members, especially recent- China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd would be delist- from abusing national security by merce Ministry said in a state- ly in Trump’s last few weeks in office.