-The Hindu Reviving the consumption demand and private investment has assumed the highest priority in 2019-20, notes central bank report. Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in its annual report for 2018-19, has said the lack of domestic demand is holding back the animal spirits in the economy and emphasised the need to revive consumption demand and private investment during 2019-20. “What ails the animal spirits? At the core is the...

-The Times of India SHIMLA/ MANALI/ UTTARKASHI: At least 31 people were killed, 10 were missing and hundreds of tourists left stranded as another day of torrential rains in the hill states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand triggered flash floods, landslides and uprooting of trees on Sunday. Himachal Pradesh received its highest ever single-day rainfall, recording an average of 102.5mm on Sunday, 1,065% higher than normal. Around 670 roads across the state,...

-The Indian Express High powered commitee for transformation of agriculture should reform restrictive tenancy laws, protect rights of landowners. Early in its second term, on July 1, the Narendra Modi government constituted a High Powered Committee of Chief Ministers for Transformation of Indian Agriculture. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was appointed the committee’s convenor. The Committee is supposed to submit its report within two months. Its terms of reference (ToR) pertain...

-The Times of India Manisha Verma, principal secretary, tribal development department, Maharashtra talks to Sugandha Indulkar about The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 and related issues, with today being World Tribal Day. * What’s the precise positioning of the tribal welfare departments at the Centre and states on FRA? This is a seminal legislation. The preamble to the Act itself states that it aims...

  A recent press release by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) shows that the declared minimum support price (MSP) for most kharif crops to be marketed in 2019-20 is at least 50 percent above the cost of production. The official information related to the newly declared MSP, which came two days ahead of the Union Budget presentation, gives the impression that the newly re-elected NDA government has kept its promise...