TMSEp504: Coaching industry, Murugappa family dispute, debt market strategy

 Yet another student died by suicide in Rajasthan’s Kota last week, taking the total number of youngsters who took their lives in the IIT coaching hub to 20 this year. The state government has ordered a detailed inquiry, and the city’s civic body has told hostels to install anti-suicide devices on ceiling fans. But what is driving students to take such an extreme step? Is it the coaching industry? Or our education system? 

Family support can indeed work wonders for youngsters, who are over-burdened with expectations to excel. Talking of family, the over two-year old dispute between Murgappa family members came to an end recently. The group said that the families have reached an agreement to resolve the matter, though the details were not made public. So has this dispute cast a shadow on Murugappa Group? 

Murugappa Group stocks jumped up to 6% after the news on the settlement was made public. Meanwhile, yields on 10-year bonds surged to a multi-month high of 7.25% on August 17, rising nearly 150 basis points in 1 month. Globally, the 10-year US treasury yields have jumped to 17-month high. As inflation outlook remains bleak amid flaring vegetable prices, will the pain in the bond markets deepen? And how should investors invest in this market? 

After the markets, let us talk about a lighter subject. English is a living language. Each year, Oxford, Cambridge and Macmillan get heavier due to additions of fresh words. But many words which may not make it to the official dictionaries, have become a daily definer of political, economic, and socio-cultural phenomena, practices and trends. Here are five such key terms that have shaped our conversations lately. Listen to this podcast.