-The Indian Express To avoid a substantial fiscal slippage at the state government level, a sizeable expenditure reduction or deferral is likely to be required, given that the borrowing limit set by the central government acts as a soft constraint to the size of the states’ fiscal deficits. There are growing concerns that the two major sources of tax revenues for state governments, the state goods and services tax (SGST) and...

-The Hindu Business Line Noted Gandhian economist Dr Sudarshan Iyengar surveys the distressed agricultural landscape, pinpoints its weaknesses, and prescribes solutions with their roots in Gandhian agronomics. Edited excerpts from an interview to BusinessLine: * Given the agrarian crisis in India today, how relevant are Gandhi's economic principles based on the village economy, and equitable distribution of resources? They are relevant in the context of Gandhi's view of gram swaraj (village self-rule), which...

-The Indian Express Consumers today are willing to pay for organic produce. What is required is a policy framework to enable farmers to cater to this market. A few months back, I was at an artisanal products exhibition, where there was a stall showcasing organic leather bags. A buyer marvelled: “Wow, we have organic leather too?” The stall-person’s response was, “Sir, this is from animals that were fed only natural grass...

-The Telegraph Yediyurappa sought department cash for flood relief Bangalore: The Karnataka government has shunted out an IAS officer who reportedly refused to divert funds from her department for flood relief. Rohini Sindhuri, secretary of the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board, was shifted without a posting after she apparently ignored orders to contribute a slice of the department’s funds for flood relief. Chief minister and BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa had...

-The Indian Express The government claims that if input cost is decreased, farmers will not need to take loans and with zero inputs, they will only earn from their crops without spending anything. Jalandhar: THE PUNJAB government has asked agriculture offices across all 22 districts to register 150 farmers each for ‘zero Budget natural farming’ to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, after getting a letter from the Centre...