-Hindustan Times The cost has been revised following recommendations by a review committee constituted last year that included representatives from the ministries of education, finance and labour, besides independent experts. The central government has increased the cost of cooking school midday meals by 9.6% from October 1 that will be valid for financial year 2022-23, the education ministry has told the state governments and union territories, which will offer some relief to...

-PTI/Hindustan Times Farmers in Punjab have started disposing crop residue -- which is usually burnt and causes air pollution -- in a sustainable manner; these farmers have not only reduced consumption of fertilisers by mixing crop residue in the soil but have also begun to monetise the practice by managing the stubble of other growers Chandigarh: A handful of farmers in Punjab have started disposing crop residue -- which is usually burnt...

-Hindustan Times In its South Asia Economic Focus report released on Thursday, the World Bank said, “The spillovers from the Russia-Ukraine war and global monetary policy tightening will continue to weigh on India’s economic outlook.” The World Bank on Thursday downgraded India's GDP or gross domestic product to 6.5% for the fiscal year 2022-23 from an earlier estimate of 7.5%. In the previous year, the Indian economy grew by 8.7%. In its South...

-Hindustan Times The House panel also made a “strong appeal” to authorities to change the index that decides wage revision for better wages under the programme. New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel has recommended extension of work allocation under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), India’s flagship job scheme, to 150 days per year, according to a committee report. The MGNREGS currently guarantees 100 days of wage employment to each person in...

-Hindustan Times The government is considering price-control measures, such as asking traders to declare their available wheat stocks, and a crackdown on hoarding of grains, he said. India has ample wheat for federally run welfare programmes but speculative trading has pushed up cereal prices, prompting the government to consider measures, such as disclosure of stocks by private traders, a senior official said. The Union government is watching price and stock movements closely and...