Quite often it is argued by mainstream economists that a sizeable chunk of the Union Budget every year is wasted because the Government spends that on food and fertiliser subsidies. The burgeoning size of these two subsidies relative to the entire budget as well as the gross domestic product (GDP) is often used to build the argument that economic as well as environmental sustainability of the country is at stake...

-Down to Earth Power supply in villages still uncertain, they say Farmers in Bihar have questioned the state government’s decision December 21, 2020, to end subsidy to them for diesel, which has been around for almost a decade, on the grounds that rural areas of the state are receiving sufficient power. Farmers in the state told this reporter that the reasons given by the government for rescinding the subsidy did not make sense....

-The Hindu Delhi Chalo protest on Nov 26, 27 could draw thousands of farmers to capital Over 500 farmers groups plan to block roads across the country on November 5, as part of an all-India “chakka jam”, the next step in their protests against the three controversial farm reform laws passed by Parliament last month. The groups, which include several major federations such as the Bharatiya Kisan Union and the All India Kisan...

-The Financial Express The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) recently rolled out a massive solar-pump programme called the PM-KUSUM scheme. The scheme has a target to set up 25,750 megawatts (MW) solar capacity by 2022 to power irrigation pumps, with central financial support of Rs 34,422 crore. It includes installation of 1.75 million off-grid and 1 million on-grid solar pumps as well as 10,000 MW of solar capacity in rural...

-Newsclick.in In an interview, the ‘father’ of India’s Green Revolution, says while technology is necessary, policies on procurement and public distribution are far more important in making agriculture economically viable and sustainable in the country. No one has played a more instrumental role in India’s self-sufficiency in food production than Dr MS Swaminathan — world-renowned agricultural scientist, known as the ‘Father of Green Revolution in India’. After getting a PhD from Cambridge...