-The Hindu Economic diversification in rural India, involving the emergence and growth of non-agricultural activities, is considered an important means of increasing employment and per capita incomes, and improving standards of living. However, non-agricultural activities themselves are of various kinds differing in terms of productivity and the returns they yield. So while the development of some activities may point to rural dynamism, many others exist and grow because of the distress-driven...

-Economic and Political Weekly The key to improving the quality of healthcare services in India and reducing costs at the same time can be found by enacting legislation which lays down minimum standards of patient care. In the absence of such standards and the reluctance of health insurance companies to standardise either price or quality, healthcare services continue to be expensive and of doubtful quality. Developing standards of patient care by...

-The Hans India It is official now. New data released by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) for 2013 show that the agrarian distress in rural India is continuing, and even intensifying for small and marginal farmers. In the last decade, there has been much talk on inclusive growth, revival of growth rates in agriculture, higher public investment in agriculture and the doubling of agricultural credit. Yet, the new data show...

-Counterview.org There have been loud claims, which continue to be made till date, that agricultural growth in Gujarat has been a "success story", which other states must follow. It is also suggested that Gujarat's agricultural growth rose from 3.3 per cent per annum in the 1990s to nearly 9 per cent over the last one decade. The argument goes on: Gujarat has written the success story despite facing challenges like depletion...

-The Indian Express The Centre plans to fix minimum national monthly wages at around Rs 15,000 for all jobs in both the formal and informal sectors in the country. The National Minimum Wages Act, 1948, lays down minimum wages for 45 listed economic activities, which also serve as minimum wages for these activities in the states. However, states can specify minimum wages for over 1,600 economic activities. Raising floor wages to Rs 15,000...