-The Times of India   The state government on Monday took yet another step forward in ensuring smooth land acquisition for the mega Posco steel plant in Jagatsinghpur, assuring to fulfil certain demands of a pro-industry outfit having considerable clout in the project area. At a meeting in Cuttack, the revenue divisional commissioner (central range) Pradipta Mohapatra assured representatives of the United Action Committee (UAC) that the government would consider fulfiling...

The current perception that cash transfers can replace public provision of basic goods and services and become a catch-all solution for poverty reduction is false. Where cash transfers have helped to reduce poverty, they have added to public provision, not replaced it. For crucial items like food, direct provision protects poor consumers from rising prices and is part of a broader strategy to ensure domestic supply. Problems like targeting errors...

Cash transfers are now suggested by many as a silver bullet for addressing the problems that plague India’s anti-poverty programmes. This article argues instead for evidence-based policy and informed public debate to clarify the place, prospects and problems of cash transfers in India. By drawing on key empirical findings from academic and grey literature across the world an attempt is made to draw attention to three aspects of cash transfers...

Import duty on raw silk has been cut from 30 to 5 per cent The mood is grim at the Government Cocoon Market in Ramanagaram. The auction of silk cocoons is on; however, no silk reeler is willing to pay more than Rs. 110 for a kg. At this rate, the loss incurred by each farmer is a heartbreaking Rs. 60 a kg. Double whammy The loss is greater and the risk more...

National Commission for Women seeks CBI inquiry into incidents The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will depute its investigation team to Greater Noida, adjoining Delhi, to inquire into the clashes between farmers and the police on the issue of acquisition of farmlands by the Uttar Pradesh government. The Commission, in a press release here on Thursday, said it was pained to see complaints and media reports alleging large-scale violence in Bhatta-Parsaul...