The Economic Survey 2015-2016 tabled in Parliament Friday has probably thrown a googly at the Indian media outlets with its wording of the GDP growth projections.
In a series of statements posted on the government's Press Information Bureau's (PIB) website, the finance ministry has given a detailed assessment of the country's macroeconomic picture.
One of the statements, "Economy Survey 2015-16: Indian economy stands out as a haven...and can be expected to register GDP growth that could be in the range of 7.0 per cent to 7.75 per cent in the coming year," seems to have triggered different interpretations among journalists.
Here is what various publications/agencies wrote:
"The Economic Survey has revised upward India's GDP growth range to 7 to 7.75 per cent for 2015-16 as against earlier government projected growth rate of 7 to 7.5 per cent. This is in line with the Central Statistics Office's estimates predicting 7.6 per cent growth in the fiscal," wrote a business newspaper.
After getting it right in its first tweet, a news agency issued a correction for a mistake that was never committed.
#EconomicSurvey: GDP growth rate for 2016-17 to be in the range of 7% to 7.75%.
— ANI (@ANI_news) February 26, 2016
CORRECTION: #EconomicSurvey- GDP growth rate for 2015-16 to be in the range of 7% to 7.75%.
— ANI (@ANI_news) February 26, 2016
Another news agency got the growth rate range wrong in its headline "Economy to grow at 7-7.5 pc in 2016-17, 7.6 pc in current yr."
The website of a business news channel put the name of the document as "Economic Survey 2016-17," though it is the Economic Survey 2015-16.
The Economic Survey precedes the presentation of the Union Budget in India. The Budget, for the financial year 2016-17, will be presented Feb. 29 by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
