-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Given the poll season, every political party's heart is beating for the farmer. While AAP's Arvind Kejriwal has brought out figures of farmer suicides in Gujarat, Narendra Modi has repeatedly lamented about such deaths under UPA regime. However, a look at government data on farmer suicides since 1995 (to 2012) shows that no party or politician has done anything for the farmer. In fact, BJP...
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The political economy cycle in India-Pramit Bhattacharya
-Live Mint As a democracy matures, citizens become more willing to trust elected representatives to plan and take steps for the long-term growth and development One common complaint during this election has been that the election commission (EC) has to be consulted before the government and its regulatory agencies take any routine decision. Decisions relating to gas price hikes and bank licences all had to be cleared by the EC, whose over...
More »Bihar has little money to pay workers under MGNREGS -Alok Gupta
-Down to Earth Blames Centre for non-release of funds Bihar has very little money to pay people under the Central welfare scheme that guarantees 100 days of employment to the rural poor in a year. Central government's reluctance to release funds under its Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is said to be the main reason for the crisis. Nitish Mishra, Bihar's rural development minister, told Down To Earth that the...
More »GM crops: PM revealed his assertive self to push for trials -Nitin Sethi
-The Business Standard Prime Minister Manmohan Singh can be assertive when he chooses to. He has certainly imposed his will on the government to push the case for the controversial genetically-modified (GM) food crops. Documents reviewed by Business Standard show, for almost two years, Singh and his office have been the moving force behind the decision to go ahead with field trials of GM crops, including food crops, without awaiting regulatory reforms...
More »Wildlife NGO group gets flak for seeking curbs on forest rights of indigenous people-Kumar Sambhav S
-Down to Earth Application moved in Supreme Court by three wildlife NGOs seeks to reverse rights granted under Forest Rights Act, allege tribal rights activists and NGOs Several forest rights groups, conservation non-profits and ecologists have got together to condemn the move by a group of non-profits that has asked the Supreme Court to restrict implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006. According to a statement issued by the...
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