The southwest monsoon has started showing much-needed signs of revival during the past few days, after having been subdued from the end of June till mid-July The rains, which are not only crucial for Indian agriculture but also provide a big impetus to the overall economic sentiment in the country, were 10 per cent above normal in the first half of June.

       But after June 19, they virtually stopped progressing, leaving large parts of North, West and Central India parched. Data shows that between July 1 and 18, the southwest monsoon was cumulatively 26 per cent below ...