-The Times of India Continuing suicides and intermittent protests by farmers across the country prompted the Supreme Court on Thursday to ask why the much publicised Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMBFY) had not provided relief to the hapless farmers. While the government said that it is the first year and they are ironing out the problems, a look at the details of this first year's implementation throws up more systemic...
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After LPG, government wants you to give up subsidy on train tickets
-MoneyControl.com The ministry is hoping that the well-to-do passengers will opt out of the subsidy. After LPG, a 'Give-It-Up' campaign for subsidy on train tickets could be launched soon. The Indian Railways is gearing to launch the campaign from August, says a report in the Business Standard. Through this, the passengers will have the choice to either forego 100 percent subsidy or give up 50 percent. The passengers will also have a...
More »Why Mumbai, India's most productive city, is losing the battle against child malnutrition -Swagata Yadavar
-IndiaSpend/ Hindustan Times Mumbai’s high malnutrition figures are despite the fact that 83% of government and aided schools in Mumbai city and 95.1% in its suburbs have a midday meal programme. Mumbai’s Colaba is well known for its art deco buildings, the Gateway of India, swish pubs and restaurants, and the pleasant promenade of Marine Drive. It houses the state assembly, Vidhan Bhavan, and the state secretariat, Mantralaya. However, this high-profile ward recorded...
More »How much will a cow cess of Re.1 on petrol generate? -Ragini Bhuyan and Tadit Kundu
-Livemint.com A cow cess of even Re.1 per litre of petrol will be enough to generate funds that will exceed the entire annual budgets of several Union ministries About two weeks ago, Subramanian Swamy, a Rajya Sabha member from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called for a cow cess of Re1 on petrol to fund gaushalas or cow shelters across the country. Swamy made the comment towards the end of his speech...
More »Is direct benefit transfer really a panacea for the rural poor? -Sanjiv Phansalkar
-VillageSquare.in Given the complex and varied situations in rural India, the results of the direct benefit transfer method are so far mixed at best and debilitating at worst, as seen in the subsidies for farm equipment and fertilizers Direct benefit transfer (DBT), a system through which government programs transfer funds directly to bank accounts of beneficiaries, is hailed as a major intervention that is expected to cut a whole lot of misdirection...
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