India's economic growth may decline by 2 percentage points: Yashwant Sinha

" If we want to reduce poverty effectively, then we have to grow at least at the rate of 8 per cent, compared to that we are growing at the rate of 5 per cent," he observed.

India's economic growth is likely to decline by 2 percentage points in the next financial year due to the impact of coronavirus pandemicand the consequent 21-day countrywide lockdown, former finance minister Yashwant Sinha said on Friday.

In an interview to PTI, Sinha said India was already facing high unemployment and the pandemichas added to the woes.

"My own estimate isthat the 21-day countrywide lockdown which has been enforced, itself will result in shaving off at least 1 percentage point of GDP. And if you take earlier problems created by the coronaviruspandemic before the lockdown and the uncertaintiesof the future, then a 2