-The Hindu Business Line Eminent agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan, Chairman of the much discussed Farmers’ Commission whose report mooted an MSP at 50 per cent above cost, feels that income support can be given in the form of free inputs or higher procurement as well. While welcoming ‘PM-Kisan’, he says cash transfer should not become a form of patronage and that the focus should shift from loan write-offs to long-term policies....

-The Hindu Daily wagers are taking part in rallies for Rs. 1,000 a day and a meal VIJAYAWADA (Andhra Pradesh): Farmers are running short of hands during the crucial rabi sowing season, with thousands of daily wagers opting to work in election campaigns instead. Politicians are paying the agricultural labourers ?1,000 per day for being part of an election rally, apart from a meal and snacks. The job entails being a part...

-The Times of India Farmer unrest in Tamil Nadu is a much-debated subject on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls. However, the widespread agrarian distress has been in the making for decades as successive governments have had little understanding of the sector’s problems. Now that elections are here, farmers, who are an influential group in most of the constituencies, are again the focus of political campaigners. “Both the Congress and the...

-The Hindu Business Line With people too busy collecting it, attendance at poll meetings is thin It’s the schedule of water tankers, and not the time and availability of political bigwigs and national leaders, that is determining the timing of election meetings and rallies in Maharashtra’s drought-affected regions. With the drought intensifying and paucity of water rising, over 3,117 water tankers, as against just 391 in March 2018, are plying in 8,000 villages...

-The Indian Express Concealing the identity of donors in electoral bonds goes against a fundamental tenet of democracy — transparency Electoral bonds are attracting attention in the run-up to the general elections. These bonds were conceived in 2017 and the necessary legislative changes were made in the Finance Bill of 2017. For example, Section 31 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1924, was amended and a new Clause (3) was...