Oil Price risk on Budget 2022

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Omicron variant offshoot BA.2 drive India’s third Covid-19 wave 

Did the even faster-spreading Omicron variant offshoot BA.2 drive India’s third Covid-19 wave? Data from the global genome sequence repository GISAID seems to suggest so, at least for several states from where genotyping data has been more consistently shared.BA.2 is one of the offshoots of the Omicron variant and has recently been seen displacing its predecessor, the BA.1. The Omicron variant’s earliest lineages B.1.1.529 and BA.1 itself have been significantly more transmissible, having displaced the Delta variant from most parts of the world.. HT

Increase capital expenditure from the last year’s budgeted nearly 5.6 lakh crore

The Economic Survey to be presented in Parliament on Monday may ask the government to significantly increase capital expenditure from the last year’s budgeted nearly 5.6 lakh crore to help generate demand, employment and, attract more private investment for sustained growth in the economy bruised by three waves of Covid-19 pandemic. Deccan Herald

Oil Price risk on Budget

The dependence on overseas supplies in a high-priced oil market leaves India vulnerable to higher inflation and a weaker rupee. The crude import bill is expected at a record $111 billion this fiscal, which will worsen the current account deficit. The budget for the current fiscal had assumed oil prices will hover around the $65-per-barrel mark. Telegraph

Cyber security researchers found evidence of Pegasus on phones

At least two cyber-security researchers, who have deposed before the Supreme Court-appointed committee that’s probing the use of Pegasus for allegedly spying on citizens, have told the panel that they found concrete evidence of use of the malware on the devices of the petitioners. These cyber-security researchers were engaged by some of the petitioners to depose before the top court panel and provide details of the forensic analysis done by them. Indian Express

Auditor for EPFO’s professional fund managers

Nearly seven years after starting to deploy a part of its corpus in the stock market through professional fund managers, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has now decided to appoint an independent auditor to keep an eye on their investment transactions and report any deviations.. Hindu

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