CBS LINE

CBS ThinkX: Navigating the World of Alternative Investments September 2026 A meaningful and insightful session under the CBS ThinkX Series was successfully concluded at the Centre for Budget Studies, CUSAT. The session on “Beyond Stocks & Bonds: REITs, InvITs and Alternative Securities” offered an engaging exploration of the evolving landscape of investment opportunities and the growing relevance of alternative securities in modern financial markets. We were delighted to have Mr. Nikhil K G, CEO, Pentad Securities, share his valuable industry insights and practical perspectives with our students. His interaction provided a deeper understanding of financial markets beyond conventional asset classes and encouraged students to explore emerging investment avenues from a broader perspective. An enriching exchange of ideas that brought together academic learning and industry perspectives, leaving our students with valuable insights t...

   CBS LINE Volume 4(8) Kiran Kumar Kakarlapudi Economic Advisor to the Vice Chairperson of the Kerala State Planning Board Assistant Professor Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation 1. Despite leading India in human capital metrics, with a 41% higher education Gross Enrolment Ratio, Kerala continues to face a youth unemployment rate of nearly 30% alongside a subdued manufacturing base. In this context, what policy measures do you think are necessary to address constraints such as high land costs and operational friction, attract large-scale private investment, and create more formal local employment opportunities? Respondent:Educated unemployment in Kerala is not a recent development. It was already the central concern of research at the Centre for Development Studies in the 1970s, when higher education enrolment was a fraction of today's. The state's unemployment rate has run two to three times the national rate throughout that period, curr...

   CBS LINE Volume 4(8) Beyond Shelter: Making Sustainable Housing Gender-Inclusive in India Amritha Vijai Assistant Professor Department of Economics, NSS College Cherthala A house is more than just a shelter for a woman. It represents the responsibility she carries, her personal workplace where she cooks, cleans, and cares for her family.  It is a significant variable that influences her health, economic opportunities, and her familial status. However, she is often excluded from the decisions pertaining to the same house she runs, even when these decisions have a direct impact on the quality of her life. A sustainable house is designed, constructed, and maintained in such a way that its impact on the environment is reduced, energy efficiency is ensured, and the overall well-being of inhabitants is addressed. The discussions on sustainable housing emphasise the importance of incorporating sustainability in the design stage of the house, but these discussions often ignore...

   CBS LINE Volume 4(8) Why Do Investors Follow the Crowd?  Sajeeb Das  Research Scholar  Centre for Budget Studies, CUSAT Imagine opening your phone one morning and noticing that a particular stock is suddenly everywhere. Financial websites discuss it, social media is filled with positive opinions, and people around you talk about buying it. The stock price is rising rapidly. You may not know much about the company, but still feel you should buy it before the price goes higher. But why? Is it because you have carefully studied the company’s financial performance? Or is it because everyone else seems to be buying it? This situation reflects an important feature of financial markets: people do not always make investment decisions independently. Sometimes, others’ behaviour influences what they buy, sell, and how they perceive the market. When investors see others buying a stock, they may assume those investors have information they lack. As more people buy, the r...

   CBS LINE Volume 4(8) The RBI Hits Pause: What India’s Interest Rates Mean for Your Wallet  Arwa Payyanat  Department of Economics  MES Mampad College For most people, a change—or even no change—in the Reserve Bank of India’s interest rate may sound like something that concerns only economists and financial markets. But the RBI’s August decision has a much more familiar connection: the cost of borrowing, the return on savings, and ultimately the amount of money households have left to spend each month.  On August 5, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, while retaining its neutral policy stance. The repo rate is the interest rate at which the RBI lends to commercial banks, and it influences the interest rates banks offer on loans and deposits. At the same time, the RBI raised its forecast for India’s real GDP growth in 2026–27 to 6.7% and lowered its inflation forecast to 5.0%. The decision is significant because it reflec...

   CBS LINE Volume 4(8) 🏛️ ECONOMIC POLICY 🏦 RBI holds repo rate at 5.25% – maintains a neutral stance amid global uncertainty. 📈 FY27 GDP forecast raised to 6.7% – stronger domestic demand and manufacturing activity support growth. 📉 FY27 inflation forecast trimmed to 5.0%, but food and fuel prices remain a risk. 💵 RBI attracted nearly $73B in foreign inflows through special schemes, strengthening external finances. 👉 Do this: Fixed-income investors can lock current rates. Keep an emergency fund ready as inflation risks remain. 💳 FINTECH AND BANKING 🤖 RBI pushes AI adoption in banking, emphasizing responsible and resilient use of artificial intelligence. 💳 Digital lending and data-based credit continue expanding, with GST and transaction data becoming more important for loan approvals. 📱 RBI strengthens oversight of digital lending apps to protect consumers from fraud. 👉 Do this: Keep GST records, bank statements, and digita...

   CBS LINE Volume 4(8) Aryan Pradeep Nair & Fathima Nourin P MSc in Econometrics and Finanacial Technology

   CBS LINE Volume 4(8) Quiz Corner Current Affairs Quiz Register & Start Quiz Previous Next Submit Quiz Quiz Completed! Prepared by Fathima Fidha A F Thank you for participating.

   CBS LINE Volume 4(8) 📚 September 2026 Exam Alerts Upcoming Competitive, Banking, Defence & Government Examinations UPSC & Defence Examinations Date Examination Eligibility / Relevance Area 13 Sept 2026 UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) II Graduate UPSC / Defence 13 Sept 2026 UPSC NDA & NA II ...

   CBS LINE Volume 4(8) 📚 India — September 2026 Conferences Business • Economics • Finance • Commerce • E-Commerce / E-Business 📅 1 September 2026 Conference Name City & State Category Website International Conference on Business Economics and Finance (ICBEF) Mumbai, Maharashtra Business / Economics / Finance View International Conference on Business Economics and Finance (ICBEF) ...