-The Indian Express Focusing on private asset creation will only exacerbate its design and implementation failures. In his budget speech, Arun Jaitley shied away from taking a tough stand on the MgNREGA. In a seemingly non-controversial comment, he emphasised that "wage employment would be provided under MgNREGA through works that are more productive, asset creating and substantively linked to agriculture and allied activities". The subtext, however, is controversial. As argued below, far...

-The Indian Express Modi on July 5 made clear his intention to retain and push the schemes. In a decisive push to the UPA government's Aadhaar project and Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) scheme by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, his office has directed the Planning Commission to collect data on these schemes in 300 priority districts and submit a status report by August 15. According to government sources, the directive was issued...

-Deccan Herald It is difficult to understand why Indian farmers continue to be ignored. With a meager outlay every year, Indian farmers have been producing a bountiful harvest. If only agriculture was to be injected with the much need economic stimulus package, I am sure the Indian farmers can flood the country with food, fruits and vegetables. India can certainly emerge as one of the biggest exporters of agricultural commodities. In...

-The Hindu Business Line A Budget for agriculture A Budget is, generally speaking, a poor instrument for correcting food inflation. But this one conveys a clear intent to target the economic roots of the malaise by addressing supply side concerns. It also takes a long-term view of issues affecting the sector, transcending short-term production concerns. On the demand side, the simple economic response of reducing consumption can hardly apply, without compromising on nutrition....

-PTI Government informed Rajya Sabha that an action plan has been formulated to improve the implementation of the scheme New Delhi: Noting that there are variations in demand for work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MgNREGA), the government on Monday said it would continue with the rural job scheme. The government also informed Rajya Sabha that an action plan has been formulated to improve the implementation of MgNREGA. "There...