-Live Mint To alleviate poverty and extend true food security to its people India must bring efficiency to public expenditures In the Indian economy, where almost half of the average household's expenditures goes toward food and half the labour force is engaged in agriculture, one cannot simply wish away the centrality of agriculture just because its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) hovers around a comparatively low 14%. India's agriculture is responsible...

-The Hindustan Times   Gujarat's developmental model has dominated this election season, thanks to BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi making it a poll issue and the Congress hitting back with vengeance. Modi showcased his state's model to project his performance. The Congress called it a ‘toffee' model that India does not need. TMC said the West Bengal model was better while Telugu Desam Party said the Gujarat model was inspired by the one...

-Down to Earth   India's first PM born after Independence will face the old problem of poverty eradication India may have its first post-Independence-born prime minister this June. But what difference would it make in terms of the country's development agenda? How will the new prime minister face the challenges that have been there since before Independence? Or, what are the developmental challenges the new prime minister may find difficult to address? Arguably,...

-The Financial Express     MGNREGS fails to deliver on even its own targets   Given how less than a tenth of households applying for jobs under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) have ended up getting the guaranteed 100 days of workin FY14-the figure was 14.5% in FY09-it is obvious the scheme is failing under even its own stated goals. At a time when both Economic Growth and jobs creation is...

-NewsMobile.in   Suicide rates in India are among the highest in the world. With 187,000 suicides per year, one-fifth of all global suicides occur in India. Farmer suicides are often reported in the media and are subject to a great deal of political debate. A recent study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine indicated farmer suicides might be disproportionate to the population as whole, reporting rural suicide rates were twice...