The Economic Intelligence Council will discuss the issue when it meets at the end of this month The government is likely to form a central agency to regulate so-called multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes after the Economic Intelligence Council found they had become a “preferred” mode of fraud. In the wake of an increasing number of economic offences, the United Progressive Alliance government has also decided to set up a multidisciplinary school...

-The Business Standard   Now MGNREGA may bear the burden of PDS' failure This newspaper reported on Tuesday that the rural development ministry approached the food ministry suggesting that work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) be paid for using foodgrain. The impetus for the rural development ministry’s action is perhaps understandable. The Act provides for the possibility of a fraction of wages being paid in kind; the allocation...

-The Business Standard The Union ministry of rural development proposes to introduce flexibility in implementation of its flagship programmes across the country. Minister Jairam Ramesh said, “In a phased manner, 50 per cent of the funds earmarked for rural development programmes will be transferred to state governments to implement the schemes as per their requirements, subject to broad guidelines. The rest of the funds will be spent as per the national guidelines...

The poverty line figures given by the Planning Commission for 2009-10 have drawn strong criticism of foul play from politicians, social activists and some economists. Is the current poverty line justified? Why are there so many conflicting opinions? To understand this complex issue in simple terms,Indivjal Dhasmana interviewed Pronab Sen, principal advisor to the Planning Commission and former chief statistician. Edited excerpts: There is so much confusion around the poverty line....

As the government aims to cut subsidies to less than two per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2012-13 and 1.75 per cent over the next three years, several analysts believe the subsidy amount on the proposed food security law may not allow it to come into effect or be contained. Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen tells Dilasha Seth various subsidy figures on food security quoted by the...