-The Business Standard Balancing duty to the poor while mitigating 'policy externalities' arising out of the food bill is India's latest challenge The government has fought all odds to get the food security bill - an entitlement programme that covers 67% of India's 1.2 billion large population under a subsidised grain regime, passed in the Parliament. But the battle now shifts to the global stage with India having to convince negotiators, particularly...

-The Hindu Not more than 50 p.c. urban, 70 p.c. rural families can get cards Hassan (Karnataka): The State government, which launched the Anna Bhagya scheme to provide Below Poverty Line (BPL) families Rice at Re. 1 a kg, has now decided to put a stringent cap on eligibility. A recent circular directs Food and Civil Supplies officers to ensure that not more than 70 per cent households in rural areas and...

-Down to Earth   This defies logic. Despite rapid economic growth, India has often been placed below sub-Saharan African countries that have very high number of malnourished children. But the government has no data to clarify its position. In the first week of September, Parliament’s Committee on Estimates criticised the government, saying: “The committee is surprised to note that in the modern era of Information and Technology, there is no recent official...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Several states want the Centre to foot the bill for all associated expenses such as transportation and commission to ration shops under the Food Security Act when it takes the credit for the scheme. Almost all states including Congress-ruled ones asked the Centre to bear these expenses which is estimated to be around Rs 10,000 crore annually. While most states represented by food ministers on Tuesday...

-The Hindustan Times   Chandigarh: Punjab expects profitable basmati crop this kharif season. The pRice of Indian basmati already has touched $136 (`8,500) a quintal in the international market, lifting the rate in the state as well. In just 15 days into the harvest season, premium basmati is being lifted for `3,500 a quintal. Last year, the pRice was about `2,200. Basmati exporters have, so far, bought about 1-lakh tonnes of the product in...