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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Festive Surge

India’s bazaars have glittered this Diwali with the unmistakable glow of consumer confidence. The country’s festive sales crossed a staggering Rs. 6 lakh crore with goods alone accounting for Rs. 5.4 lakh crore and services contributing Rs. 65,000 crore. More remarkable still, the bulk of this spending flowed through India’s traditional markets rather than e-commerce platforms. After years of economic caution and digital dominance, Indians are once again shopping in person and buying local....

Festive Surge

India’s bazaars have glittered this Diwali with the unmistakable glow of consumer confidence. The country’s festive sales crossed a staggering Rs. 6 lakh crore with goods alone accounting for Rs. 5.4 lakh crore and services contributing Rs. 65,000 crore. More remarkable still, the bulk of this spending flowed through India’s traditional markets rather than e-commerce platforms. After years of economic caution and digital dominance, Indians are once again shopping in person and buying local. This reversal owes much to policy. The recent rationalisation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which trimmed rates across categories from garments to home furnishings, has given consumption a timely push. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s September rate cuts, combined with income tax relief and easing interest rates, have strengthened household budgets just as inflation softened. The middle class, long squeezed between rising costs and stagnant wages, has found reason to spend again. Retailers report that shoppers filled their bags with everything from lab-grown diamonds and casual wear to consumer durables and décor, blurring the line between necessity and indulgence. The effect has been broad-based. According to Crisil Ratings, 40 organised apparel retailers, who together generate roughly a third of the sector’s revenue, could see growth of 13–14 percent this financial year, aided by a 200-basis-point bump from GST cuts alone. Small traders too have flourished. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) estimates that 85 percent of total festive trade came from non-corporate and traditional markets, a robust comeback for brick-and-mortar retail that had been under siege from online rivals. This surge signals a subtle but significant cultural shift. The “Vocal for Local” and “Swadeshi Diwali” campaigns struck a patriotic chord, with consumers reportedly preferring Indian-made products to imported ones. Demand for Chinese goods fell sharply, while sales of Indian-manufactured products rose by a quarter over last year. For the first time in years, “buying Indian” has become both an act of economic participation and of national pride. The sectoral spread of this boom underlines its breadth. Groceries and fast-moving consumer goods accounted for 12 percent of the total, gold and jewellery 10 percent, and electronics 8 percent. Even traditionally modest categories like home furnishings, décor and confectionery recorded double-digit growth. In the smaller towns that anchor India’s consumption story, traders say stable prices and improved affordability kept registers ringing late into the festive weekend. Yet, much of this buoyancy rests on a fragile equilibrium. Inflation remains contained, and interest rates have been eased, but both could tighten again. Sustaining this spurt will require continued fiscal prudence and regulatory clarity, especially as digital commerce continues to expand its reach. Yet for now, the signs are auspicious. After years of subdued demand and inflationary unease, India’s shoppers appear to have rediscovered their appetite for consumption and their faith in domestic enterprise. The result is not only a record-breaking Diwali, but a reaffirmation of the local marketplace as the heartbeat of India’s economy.

It’s all in the DNA

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

It’s all in the DNA

Forensic DNA evidence, often hailed as the gold standard for identifying individuals, plays a crucial role in crime investigations and legal proceedings. It is instrumental in connecting suspects to crime scenes, exonerating the wrongly convicted, and establishing or excluding paternity. The reliability of forensic DNA evidence surpasses many other types of crime scene evidence, thanks to its high discrimination power, stability, and sensitivity. DNA tests are considered nearly infallible due to precise accuracy.

The pioneering work of Sir Alec John Jeffreys, a British geneticist, led to the development of genetic fingerprinting and DNA profiling techniques. These advancements are now globally utilized in forensic science to aid police investigations, resolve paternity disputes, and address immigration issues.

In India, forensic DNA evidence was first recognised in the criminal justice system by the Madras High Court in 1985. The landmark case of Kunhiraman v. Manoj (1991), adjudicated by the Kerala High Court, marked a significant milestone. The court upheld the admissibility of DNA evidence under Section 45 of the Indian Evidence Act, which permits expert opinions in legal matters. This ruling established that DNA evidence, like the opinions of chemical analysts or fingerprint experts, could decisively determine paternity.

Several high-profile cases in India have since relied on DNA evidence for crucial breakthroughs:

Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case (1991): DNA fingerprinting was used to identify both the victims and the attacker.

Naina Sahni Murder Case (1995): DNA evidence confirmed that the burnt remains were those of Naina Sahni, leading to the conviction of Sushil Sharma.

Beant Singh Assassination Case (1995): DNA fingerprinting revealed that one of the victims was Babbar Khalsa operative Dilawar Singh, confirming suspicions of a human bomb attack.

Priyadarshini Mattoo Case (1995): DNA evidence played a key role in the conviction of Santosh Kumar Singh, with the Delhi High Court sentencing him to death in 2006 based on DNA evidence found on the victim’s undergarments.

Shiney Ahuja Rape Case (2009): The actor was convicted after DNA samples from the victim matched his. Nirbhaya Gangrape Case (2012): DNA evidence, along with the victim’s dying declaration, led to the death sentences of all accused.

Hyderabad Blasts Case (2013): DNA samples from a house linked to the accused helped the National Investigation Agency secure convictions.

Mumbai Shakti Mill Gang Rape Case (2018): DNA evidence was crucial in identifying the victim through personal belongings, leading to the conviction of the accused. Interestingly, DNA profiling has even been utilized in anti-corruption cases. For instance, a bribe taker who swallowed tainted currency notes was forensically implicated when DNA profiling of saliva on the recovered notes confirmed his guilt.

In essence, DNA evidence serves as a biological GPS for the accused—a divinely notified Aadhaar card, ensuring justice is served. Just as in cricket where catches win matches, in crime, DNA matches win convictions.

(The writer is a retired IPS officer and a forensic expert. Views personal.)

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