The Sonia Gandhi-led national advisory council (NAC) has won decisive victories in keeping at bay the governments attempt to regulate right to information and ensuring the pro-tribal Forest Rights Act is made more effective for its intended beneficiaries. On the national Food Security Act -- the third bone of contention between the government and NAC -- the Council at its meeting on Saturday held its ground and advocated a staggered...
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‘Many challenges remain for India's youthful population' by Aarti Dhar
Adolescent girls face nutritional problems than boys of that age: report Having more than 243 million adolescents – the highest in the world – the key challenge that India faces is ensuring the nutritional, health and educational needs of this population, particularly girls. Over the past two decades, rapid economic growth – with real gross domestic product averaging 4.8 per cent between 1990 and 2009 – has lifted millions out of...
More »Many sops for farmers in BSY’s ‘agriculture budget’ by Johnson TA
The B S Yeddyurappa government rolled out a whole new slew of populist schemes in its 2011-12 revenue surplus Budget on Thursday, targeting an increase in the number of ‘direct beneficiaries’, especially in the agriculture sector. New schemes announced in Yeddyurappa’s Budget include a provision of Rs 10,000 each to 10 lakh small farmers in dry lands, reduction of interest rates on co-operative bank loans from three to one per...
More »Centre consulting states on Food Bill: Patil
President Pratiba Patil today said the Centre is consulting state governments on the proposed National Food Security Act (NFSA), which will give the poor a legal entitlement to subsidised foodgrains. “The states are being consulted as the success of the programme (NFSA) hinges critically on their commitment to reforms in the public distribution system (PDS),” Ms. Patil said in her address to Parliament to mark the beginning of the Budget Session. The...
More »Food subsidy to be Rs 1,10,600 cr if NAC desire is met by Sruthijith KK
The total food subsidy bill will balloon to 1,10,600 crore if entitlements recommended by the Sonia Gandhi-headed National Advisory Council are incorporated into the Food Security Bill , the Ministry of Food And Public Distribution has estimated. The subsidy bill in the initial phase will be 93,000 crore. The ministry's estimates are significantly higher than the ones made by both NAC and the Rangarajan panel that studied the NAC recommendations. The ministry,...
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