-Deccan Herald District-level officials have been mounting pressure on the government to give beneficiaries cash instead of foodgrains The Karnataka government is under pressure to consider replacing foodgrains with cash benefits to not only plug pilferage but give citizens a say in their consumption basket amid concerns that they are not eating all of what they get under the public distribution system (PDS).  The cash-based food subsidy is being piloted in Puducherry, Chandigarh...

-ThePrint.in A hit to India’s rice output could lead to a major policy overhaul as it arrives on the back of a lower wheat harvest. New Delhi: After a severe heat wave in April-May singed India’s wheat crop, leading to a ban on exports, planting of rice, the main rain-fed crop in the ongoing kharif season, has been hit due to patchy rains in several states. Major rice-growing states such as Uttar Pradesh,...

-Newsclick.in Many candidates alleged they gave ‘cut money’ (commission) which was channelised to then state education minister Partha Chatterjee (who is now under arrest) and were recruited. Kolkata: The School Selection Commission (SSC) scam in West Bengal came to national limelight after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) unearthed Rs 21 crore 90 lakh in hard cash from Arpita Mukherjee’s residence. Arpita Mukherjee is believed to be a close confidante of Partha Chatterjee,a trusted...

-TheWire.in States like Delhi (despite its unique multi-party governance architecture), West Bengal, Kerala (or even Goa and Sikkim) perform better compared to UP when it comes to being measured for securing access to basic social, economic services. In a veiled attack against BJP’s political opponents, accusing them of promising ‘freebies’ (revdi) in exchange for electoral votes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday cautioned people, especially the youth, against this “revdi culture”, saying...

-TheWire.in Why should the money collected through purpose-specific cesses be funneled into a state's consolidated fund? On July 20, 2022, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)’s report on Kerala’s finances for the fiscal year 2020-21 was tabled in the state assembly. Amongst several other observations, this report has noted how funds being kept outside the ‘Consolidated Fund’ of the state. The context here is the manner in which Kerala treats cess...