A look at the headlines in this sector right now:

  1. Don’t announce schemes for five poll-bound states, EC tells Centre as it allows to present Budget on February 1: The Election Commission also stipulated that the finance minister should not mention the government’s achievements in these states in his Budget speech.
  2. India tops Google Play Store by app downloads, but lags in terms of revenue, says report: According to the App Annie study, India has surpassed the US to become the world’s second-largest smartphone market.
  3. Court rules Theresa May must get Parliamentary approval before triggering Brexit: However, The Supreme Court rejected demands to let let the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly vote on it.  
  4. CBI arrests former IDBI Bank chief, seven others in connection with Vijay Mallya money-laundering case: Investigators alleged that Yogesh Aggarwal had approved a Rs 900-crore loan for Kingfisher Airlines even though it was in violation of credit limit norms.
  5. Panel exploring introduction of fiscal deficit range submits report to Arun Jaitley: The NK Singh-led committee’s analysis deals with the relationship between the Centre and states, financial policy and presentations made by global experts.
  6. Rs 162 crore in illegal income found in raids at two Karnataka Congress leaders’ properties: Income Tax officials also found over Rs 41 lakh in cash and 12 kg in gold and jewellery at their properties in Belagavi, Gokak and Bengaluru. 
  7. Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das gets three-month extension: His tenure will end on May 31, 2017.