-Business Standard In November, the government decides to transfer Rs 4.5 a quintal production incentive to bank accounts of sugarcane farmers Two months ago, the Centre after much deliberation decided to transfer Rs 4.50 a quintal directly into the bank accounts of sugarcane growers. The government called this a production incentive, but it is seen by many as an attempt to kill several birds with one stone. An incentive directly transferred into the...

-TheWire.in For those from a generation unfamiliar with the political cult classic, The Ugly American, the conduct of the United States Trade Representative, Michael Froman at the World Trade Organisation Nairobi Ministerial, would have served as a good introduction. Even before he had boarded the plane to Nairobi, Froman had most negotiators from the developing countries, gathered for the talks in the Kenyatta Convention Centre, seething with anger with his op-ed in...

-Hindustan Times The Chennai floods have thrown up some fundamental flaws in our system of urban planning. Across India, city after city has experienced floods, while some others live with the fear of impending disasters. In Mumbai, flooding was caused by wrong developments at the Bandra estuary and negligence along the Mithi river, and in Uttarakhand the disaster was caused by unplanned regional development and the unholy nexus between the land...

-The Hindu Agrarian distress has a cascading effect on all other businesses in the district ANANTAPUR (Andhra Pradesh): The year bygone, so far, has been one of sorrow for the poor of the district, with several of them committing suicide out of desperation and hopelessness. According to estimates of different political parties and social Organisations, who have also done field level verification of the reports of suicides, no fewer than 150 suicides —...

-The Hindu Experts and NGOs say Nairobi outcomes favour rich countries and effectively end Doha Round. In the backdrop of a political intrigue surrounding the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) final Ministerial Declaration at the recently-concluded meet in the Kenyan capital, Commerce Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, is likely to make a statement in Parliament tomorrow on what the ‘Nairobi package’ means for India. The minister will be making her statement amidst claims by international trade...