More thought needs to be given to the kind of data generated and its practical implications. Yesterday when the census enumerator visited, I asked him how he felt about the current debate on counting caste in the census: “Not comfortable at all”, he said, “I don't even like asking whether someone is SC/ST or Other, leave alone what their caste is.” But, he added, “caste is an inescapable reality of...
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Centre allows export of wheat products for a year by Gargi Parsai
The Centre will allocate additional quantities of wheat and rice for ration card holders at rates lower than the minimum support price (MSP), but higher that the issue price, under the public distribution system. The allocations would be made from June. At the same time, the government on Wednesday allowed export of wheat products like rava, sooji and maida, much in demand by expatriate Indians, for a year till March 31,...
More »Wheat prices drop on extra allocation on PDS
Wheat prices started showing a downward movement today after an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) headed by FM Pranab Mukherjee okayed the release of an additional 30 lakh tonnes of wheat and rice for the poor, over and above the current PDS allocation, for the next six months. The most-active wheat contract was reportedly trading around 0.60% lower at Rs 1,158.40/qtl on the back of fresh selling in anticipation of...
More »Ensure long run for food coupons by Shanto Ghosh
SINCE THE RELEASE OF THE ECONOMIC Survey, 2010, in February, much has been discussed — but far less debated — on the issue of substituting India’s public distribution system (PDS) with a food coupon-based targeted subsidy programme to benefit the below-poverty-line (BPL) families. As a leading proponent of this programme, the economic adviser to the finance ministry, Kaushik Basu, has gone on record advocating the use of food coupons declaring...
More »Monsoon to dispel clouds over sugar, grain
A good monsoon forecast strengthens prospects for India to cut sugar imports, free up grain exports and buy more gold as rains boost supplies in the world’s leading consumer of most farm commodities. Annual monsoon rains from June to September are key to firing up growth and farm output and limiting inflation in India, which ranks among the world’s top producers and consumers of sugar, wheat, rice and edible oils and...
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