-The Indian Express In the absence of patience and vision, the loan waiver remains the most favoured response to farm distress Thousands of farmers from different parts of India marched to Delhi on November 29-30 to register their protest against the Narendra Modi government’s perceived apathy and neglect of farmers’ demands. They were basically demanding three things: One, debate in Parliament to discuss farm distress; two, one-time loan waiver; and three,...

-The Hindu The Electoral Bond Scheme inhibits the citizen’s capacity to meaningfully participate in political and public life Early this year the government introduced an Electoral Bond Scheme purportedly with a view to cleansing the prevailing culture of political sponsorship. But the programme’s failings have been so blindingly obvious, and its consequences so utterly devastating to rectitude and transparency in government, that even O.P. Rawat, who just retired Chief Election Commissioner, thought...

-PTI Chandrakant Bhikan Deshmukh, a resident of Andarsul in Yeola tehsil, has sent a Money order of Rs 216 to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He got this amount after selling 545 kg of onions in an auction on December 5. Nashik: After a farmer sent his meagre earnings from sale of onions in the wholesale market to the Prime Minister, another farmer in Nashik district of Maharashtra has adopted the same...

-Newslaundry.com Quick fixes like loan waivers and MSPs don’t solve the basic problem. On December 2, 2018, PTI published a story on Sanjay Sathe of Nashik district. Sathe had grown 750 kg of onions this season. He was offered a rate of Rs. 1 per kg in the wholesale market when he tried selling them. He finally managed to negotiate a deal where he was paid Rs. 1,064 for 750 kg....

-The Hindu Business Line Farmers in election-bound States have stopped repaying in anticipation of write-offs Hyderabad: The increasing demand for farm-loan waivers and slippages in existing loan repayments by farmers in anticipation of write-offs are giving banks a nightmare. Apart from drawing the attention of policy makers and political pundits, last week’s mega farmers’ rally in the national capital has also created tremors among bankers. “The expectation of agricultural loan waivers next year when...