-The Business Standard While economic growth may reduce poverty, no systematic correlation between the pace of poverty decline and the pace of economic growth can be found in the data Recent publication of new numbers on poverty by the Planning Commission has revived some old controversies. The numbers show that while the incidence of poverty declined both between 1993-94 and 2004-05 and between 2004-05 and 2011-12, the pace of decline was much...

-Frontline Riding roughshod over farmers' concerns, the Gujarat government notifies a project to develop the Mandal-Becharaji Special Investment Region, an industrial hub spread over 50,884 hectares, affecting 44 villages. But the villagers see it as a real estate scam and are determined to resist it. GUJARAT may soon have several new townships. The Narendra Modi-led government has proposed to set up 13 special investment regions (SIRs), which are essentially industrial hubs...

-Economic and Political Weekly The government has notified a Draft Land Reforms Policy which, on paper, has all the requisites of an earnest programme. Yet, the near total failure of earlier efforts at land reforms in India leave little room for hope that something substantial will at last be done to combat landlessness. Harsh Mander (manderharsh@gmail.com) is with the Centre for Equity Studies, New Delhi, and works with survivors of mass violence,...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Unemployment among Muslims is going down, marking an encouraging trend to gladden the champions of inclusive growth. The unemployment rate for the community declined from 2.3% in 2004-05 to 1.9% in 2009-10 in rural areas and from 4.1% to 3.2% in urban areas. However, a vast majority of Muslims in both rural and urban areas are not part of the organized workforce compared to other...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Private players have placed orders to import around 7,000 tonnes of onions, while the government leaned on a public sector company to ship the key kitchen ingredient to beat the domestic shortage. The moves came even as the food and consumer affairs ministry said it will seek export curbs if prices did not ease in a fortnight. Senior government officials said Project Export Corporation was on...