-DNA Elections 2014 are around the corner. And when elections draw nearer, the Government suddenly wakes up and thinks of its duties towards the people. This year is no exception. Whether it is the one-rank-one-pension for the retired defence personnel or the legal monthly entitlement of 5kg of wheat/rice/millet for poor households under the national Food Security Act or the announcement of a 7th Pay Commission along with a DA instalment...
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Water For The Leeward India -Jean Dreze and Reetika Khera
-Outlook As subsidies for the poor continue to be under attack, a ground-up report from 10-states shows how well welfare schemes have worked over the last 10 years. Ahead of Elections 2014, rights-based welfare schemes are under attack. To those who argue ‘Dolenomics' doesn't work, a survey of five schemes in 10 states shows that the Rs 1,68,478 crore annually the nation spends is making a real and tangible difference on...
More »Farming happiness
-The Hindu Business Line The focus of land reforms should change from ceilings to minimum size A significant 72 per cent of farmers ‘like' farming as a profession, according to a recent nationwide survey conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS). This is greater than the 60 per cent figure reported in an official 2003 National Sample Survey round. True, the two surveys may not be entirely comparable...
More »Self-help group reaps success again
-The Hindu KANHANGAD, Kerala: The Akshara Purusha Swayam Sahaya Sangham, a self-help group here, once again scripted a success story by reaping a rich harvest of sweet potatoes from a barren paddy field at Kushal Nagar. A six-member team under the self-group reaped nearly 60 quintals of sweet potatoes from a 1.5-acre paddy field that lay barren for years. Having reaped a rich harvest of vegetables a few months ago, the team this...
More »Nationwide survey finds Indian farmers in bad shape -Vishwa Mohan
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Minimum support price (MSP) of most of the food-grains has been increased by over 100% in the past 10 years, but it hardly benefited farmers in eastern and central India as majority there have not even heard of such procurement system. The situation is equally bad in other parts - except in states like Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and Western Uttar Pradesh - where farmers don't get...
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