-NDTV The government's reliance on the MUDRA scheme of lending to small businesses to create jobs has not had the kind of result being advertised. New Delhi: Facing heat for not being able to back its promises of job creation, the Centre and the BJP have repeatedly cited the success of its MUDRA scheme, an acronym for Micro Units Refinance and Development Agency, meant to promote lending to small businesses. Speaking earlier this...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Even as the Chinese state media turned shriller on India and accused foreign minister Sushma Swaraj of lying to Parliament on the Doklam impasse, India and China are working together at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to get developed countries such as the US and the European Union members to reduce subsidies for farm products that are detrimental to exports from developing and poor countries. Earlier...

-The Hindu CAG finds many hazards in catering system; Army’s high-calibre munitions level critical A Comptroller and Auditor General report tabled in Parliament on Friday has found severe deficiencies in the catering services of the Indian Railways, with several stations and trains serving food items “unfit for human consumption”, unpurified tap water being used for food preparation, and food being left unprotected from insects and rats. “Deficiencies in respect of quality of food...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: India has been ranked 132 out of 152 countries in an index that rates countries by their commitment to reducing inequality. The first report edition of the index, released recently, showed that OECD countries headed by Sweden ranked the highest while Nigeria was at the bottom. The US had the highest level of inequality among developed countries, though it is the wealthiest country in history. Ironically,...

-The Hindu Strengthening the repayment capacity of farmers by improving and stabilising their income is the only way to keep them out of distress Indian agriculture is characterised by low scale and low productivity. About 85% of the operational landholdings in the country are below 5 acres and 67% farm households survive on an average landholding of one acre. More than half of the area under cultivation does not have access to...