-The Indian Express As several steps taken by the Centre for the sector hangs fire, clarity and implementation of ‘Housing for All’ scheme would be the key for its success. The Union Cabinet approved its flagship ‘Housing for All’ scheme this week, with a 2022 target and a renewed emphasis on the low-income group categories by way of relaxed income limits and higher interest subvention. While the government seems to have struck...

-Hindustan Times The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved “Housing for All”, the NDA government’s flagship programme of building two crore houses by 2022. The scheme is piloted by the housing and urban poverty alleviation ministry. Aiming to promote affordable housing, the cabinet approved a substantial increase in interest subsidy on housing loans — from 4% to 6.50% — for those from the economically weaker sections (EWS) and low-income groups (LIG). This would...

-Business Standard The World Bank's latest report "Mind, Society and Behaviour" calls for re-designing development policy based on a more realistic understanding of how human beings think and behave. The lead author of the report, Varun Gauri, was in New Delhi and spoke to Anjuli Bhargava on the thinking behind the report and what India can do with it. Edited excerpts: * Right from the cover design to the title, this report...

-Livemint.com US declares special and differential treatment a ‘threshold’ issue, implying that all developing countries will not be treated on par with regard to farm and fisheries subsidy programmes Geneva: Millions of poor farmers and fishermen in India could lose the benefits of special programmes offered by the government on account of a sustained assault on farm and fisheries subsidies by the US. Washington has declared special and differential treatment (S&DT) a...

-The Indian Express India’s largest nutrient maker tells The Indian Express how 11 crore farmers can directly receive subsidy now going to the industry. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of fertiliser subsidy to farmers is an eminently feasible proposition and the Narendra Modi government should lose no time in going ahead with its implementation, says US Awasthi of the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (Iffco). “People interested in stalling DBT are giving all sorts of...