Credit score tracking
This has reference to ‘More women in non-metros tracking credit scores than in metros: NITI Aayog’ (February 4). Per the NITI Aayog report, the share of women in business loan origination has seen consistent progress since 2019 which indicates good progress on women’s empowerment. However, the practical challenges being faced by them in the areas of credit aversion, barriers to credit readiness and the concerns in raising necessary collateral and guarantors need to be addressed.
Women’s self-help group (SHG) concept is being abused by political parties. Innovative tailor-made products to cater to women’s financial requirements need to be introduced.
With more women seen driving autorickshaws, liberal finance to women looking to be engaged in such activities must be explored.
RV Baskaran
Chennai
Strengthen ties with EU
This refers to ‘EU calling’ (March 4). The Zelensky-Trump episode at the Oval Office has, as an off-shoot, opened up new possibilities for the eurozone, beyond its defence concerns.
Now, with US weaponising tariffs, the EU is quickly focusing on trade relations beyond a shrinking US sphere. An EU that is evidently more determined today on its own strengths is a partner worth cultivating, immediately on the trade front and subsequently in the context of larger areas of interest. The visit of the European Commission President to New Delhi last week should establish India as a stable partner for the EU in these unsteady times
R Narayanan
Navi Mumbai
Calculating GDP
This refers to ‘US wants to remove government spending from GDP’ (March 4). Macroeconomics revolves around the canon: “One man’s expenditure is another man’s income.” If any government for that matter spends money on socio-economic welfare programmes, it becomes the productive income of many people which in turn creates multiplier effects on employment, output and, of course, income in the society. If it includes only productive expenditure (say, salaries, capital assets, repayment of loans, etc) in the calculation of GDP, then it will have meaning. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick should not be oblivious to the fact that government expenditure is very significant to bail any economy out of recession or even depression.
S Ramakrishnasayee
Chennai
Expand STEM
Apropos ‘Accounting in the era of STEM’ (March 4). Including basic accounting with STEM is a desirable change. However, students must be given exposure in certain other important subjects to give them an opportunity to select an educational career without being limited to a few faculties. Specifically, the focus must be on rural students who have hidden talent but limited by fiscal constraints.
Rajiv Magal
Halekere Village, Karnataka