The week in charts: Hawkish RBI minutes, drought warning, rural workforce

India's female labour force participation rate fell for decades even as the economy grew and women's education levels rose, a pattern economists have long called a puzzle. Recent Periodic Labour Force Survey data shows a rebound, but much of it is concentrated in unpaid or subsistence-level rural work. Whether this represents genuine economic empowerment or distress-driven labour supply remains a live and consequential debate.

Mint has reported a new India-focused economy development: “Nifty may hit 28,000 in the next 1 year, says Pankaj Pandey of ICICI Securities, suggests 5 stocks for up to 60% upside.” The publisher's feed describes the story as follows: Pankaj Pandey, the head of research at ICICI Securities, retains his 12-month rolling Nifty target as 28,000, i.e., 20 times P/E on FY28E, with the corresponding Sensex target placed at 93,000. Intellectual Janata Party includes this item for public-affairs disco

Mint has reported a new India-focused economy development: “India’s private sector growth likely picked up in August: HSBC Flash India PMI.” The publisher's feed describes the story as follows: The flash survey, an advance estimate ahead of final readings, offers an early indication of shifts in economic sentiment and output. Intellectual Janata Party includes this item for public-affairs discovery and context only; readers should use the original publisher link for the complete report, full s

Mint has reported a new India-focused economy development: “Mint Quick Edit | Low sugar: why India’s ethanol blending programme calls for a review.” The publisher's feed describes the story as follows: Sugar prices are rising and policy curbs are in place for bulk stocks. To what extent is sugarcane diversion to ethanol production for blending with fuels to blame? Policymakers need a big-picture review of how policies and markets interact. Intellectual Janata Party includes this item for publi