-IndiaSpend.com Punjab has seen more than 71,000 incidents of paddy straw burning this year, negating hundreds of crores spent on subsidies on straw management machines and awareness campaigns. Experts say farmers need financial incentives to take up stubble management, and must be encouraged to shift away from paddy cultivation. Chandigarh: Harbhajan Singh returned to Sadhanpur village in east Punjab's SAS Nagar district from two days off over Diwali, to find the paddy...

-The Hindu In order to address the multiple goals of fertilizer policy, India needs to work on four key areas Since 1991, when economic reforms began in India, several attempts have been made to reform the fertilizer sector to keep a check on the rising fertilizer subsidy bill, promote the efficient use of fertilizers, achieve balanced use of N, P, and K (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), and reduce water and air pollution...

-The Hindu Business Line Against postponing resolution and plans to expand provisions for LDCs alone India is resisting attempts by developed nations to “draw a wedge” between developing countries and LDCs in the ongoing negotiations for subsidising public stockholding programmes at the WTO, under the garb of offering an early resolution, and has asked poorer nations not to fall into the trap. “At the WTO agriculture committee on Monday, some developed nations, such...

-The Hindu Business Line Says small fishers need government protection; advanced nations must stop subsidising high-sea fishing India has rejected the latest draft text on curbing fishery subsidies floated by the WTO earlier this week for not adequately addressing its concerns on food security and livelihood of small fishers while including provisions that could help advanced countries perpetuate their huge doles for long-distance fishing. Please click here to read more.  ...

One is almost certain to hear this from an economist that if something is available at free of cost or at a subsidised rate thanks to government intervention, then people tend to overuse or overconsume such goods/ commodities. So, the best solution is to create a market for such 'almost freely available' or 'highly subsidised' goods or commodities. Once people start paying to use or consume such goods/ commodities, they...