-Down to Earth Although farmers vote at least as much, if not more than industrial workers or urban middle classes, elections are not fought around farmers' issues Elections are about numbers. Democratic politics is about stitching together a majority. So, the larger a group, the bigger is its “vote bank”, and greater is its electoral clout. A social group that constitutes a majority can therefore dictate its terms in an electoral democracy....

-The Economic Times New Delhi: The government has come out with a draft model contract farming act, which industry insiders said will protect farmers from price risks and encourage food processing companies to invest more in inFRAstructure and farming technology once states adopt it. The agriculture ministry has put up the model act on its website for various stakeholders, including contract farming and value chain promoting companies, producers' organisations and farmers, to...

-The Hindu Business Line FRAgmentation of agricultural land has caused sharp, uneven fluctuations in farmer incomes. Policy must address this Inclusive growth — also called “pro-poor” growth — has become an important idea in the development discourse in India. It has widespread support because it combines the two most important ideas in development: income growth along with a progressive (or more egalitarian) distribution. The term was first embraced in the early 2000s...

-The Indian Express Over-inclusive, says Chidambaram, it keeps out even those convicted of non-financial crime As Rajya Sabha cleared the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Amendment Bill Tuesday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government has entered unchartered territory and would continue to modify the law. “Insolvency and bankruptcy is an area in which it is only in recent years that we have chartered into. It is a learning experience,” Jaitley said in...

-The Hindu Business Line Bonds to make up for shortfall being considered New Delhi: To ensure that a depositor does not lose his/her money during a resolution or insolvency process of any failing bank, the government was considering a refund mechanism. The newly proposed resolution and insolvency FRAmework for financial entities envisages the FRAming of a new scheme for refund of depositors’ monies in troubled banks, while providing higher protection to them, sources...