-TheWire.in A large chunk of India’s farmers continue to depend on commission agents and not formal institutions for credit, thereby relying on cash. It is now official. Demonetisation has led to an implosion of agricultural trade in the country. In the week following demonetisation, soyabean arrivals in select major states had collapsed by 87% relative to average arrivals over the week preceding demonetisation. The figures were 55% for paddy, 61% for guar,...

The term 'development' holds a positive connotation for most policymakers. However, there are examples abound, which indicates that development also cause enormous misery to the people, particularly the poor and the marginalized. Take for instance, the organizing of 2010 Commonwealth Games, due to which massive infrastructural development in the national capital was undertaken when Sheila Dikshit was the Chief Minister of Delhi. It has been estimated that almost 2 lakh...

-The Hindu Business Line Ensuring cash availability will be a challenge for banks, too Hyderabad: Come December first week, banks may face immense pressure in disbursing cash when customers withdraw their salaries credited in bank accounts. According to bankers, there will be pressure for all stake holders during December 1-7 when salaries are disbursed for government and private sector employees across the country. According to government data, the Centre’s total salary and allowances bill...

-The Indian Express The fourth Minor Irrigation census, conducted in 2006-07, said there were over 21.5 lakh wells and borewells across Maharashtra. Mumbai: The abundant monsoon this year may have brought cheer to the state, but long-term supply of water remains a cause for concern. Data from wells monitored by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in Maharashtra has shown that water level has declined in 70 per cent of such wells....

-The Telegraph New Delhi: About 57.57 per cent of India's urban population of 300 million has no source of income, socio-economic data released by the government last week suggests, prompting at least one analyst to wonder if this was the reason people were willing to queue up for the whole day to exchange cash. Thirty-seven per cent are engaged in work ranging from begging to government jobs, earning some income. About 5.90...