-Newsclick.in The Interim Budget granted a paltry Rs 500 per month to farmers as relief, fund cuts for dalits, adivasis and minorities, and was silent on agricultural and industrial workers. It was the theatre of absurd in the Lok Sabha on Friday as replacement Finance Minister Piyush Goyal presented the Interim Budget through an election speech, tom-tomming the so-called achievements of the Narendra Modi government over the past five years, offering an...

-TheWire.in The new scheme, similar to other programmes launched by the Modi government, shows how divorced Lutyens Delhi is from the dust and grime of real India. The NDA government in its last budget before the election has announced an ambitious pension scheme for unorganised sector workers. Given its tendency for hyperbole, the scheme is already being touted as the largest pension scheme in the world with 100 million potential beneficiaries. It would...

-The Hindu Allocation for existing scheme slashed The Centre has allocated Rs.500 crore for a new pension scheme for workers in the unorganised sector, even while reducing its allocation for an existing pension scheme by Rs.775 crore. The new scheme, to be called the Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan, will benefit unorganised sector workers who have a monthly income up to Rs.15,000. It will provide them a monthly pension of ?3,000 from the age...

-The Hindu India’s public health system can no longer function within the shadows of its health services system In India, public health and health services have been synonymous. This integration has dwarfed the growth of a comprehensive public health system, which is critical to overcome some of the systemic challenges in healthcare. A stark increase in population growth, along with rising life expectancy, provides the burden of chronic diseases. Tackling this requires an...

-The Hindu Business Line Schemes that promote female employment are not enough. Childcare services can make a big difference, as in Brazil’s case There has been much clamour over the fall in female labour force participation rates (FLPRs) in recent years. The data from the Labour Bureau indicate that the FLPR for ages 15 and above has declined from 30 per cent in 2011-12 to 27.4 per cent in 2015-16. Additionally, estimates suggest...