-ThePrint.in Modi govt reduced the import duty on masoor to less than half on 2 June. Farmers and traders allege move is to aid influential trading groups. New Delhi: Farmers and traders are disappointed with the Narendra Modi government over its decision to cut the import duty on lentils (masoor dal) to less than half even as the international prices have spiked by over 12 per cent. The agricultural stakeholders criticised the move...

-HowIndiaLives.com/ Livemint.com Indian leaders came late to the coronavirus discussion. And when they did, they focused more on health and administration than the economy or the poor On 30 January, India reported its first coronavirus case from Kerala. The virus was not yet a global menace, but even by that day, 20 countries already had a combined 7,823 cases. However, it would not be until over a month later that top political...

-The Hindu True self-reliance won’t come from relentless industrialisation, but from localisation and decentralisation, as demonstrated by these remarkable stories of empowered rural communities Not so long ago, Dalit women farmers in Telangana used to face hunger and deprivation. Today, they have contributed foodgrains for pandemic relief. Farmers on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border have been sending organic produce to Bengaluru even during the lockdown. And Adivasi villages in central India are using...

-Livemint.com Consumer confidence indices, an output of RBI survey of 5,300 households spread across 13 cities, fell to a historic low in May. The future expectations index dropped to 97.9 in May from 115.2 in March MUMBAI: As the covid-19 pandemic continues to spread, India’s economy has lost its main engine of growth: consumption. A survey by the country’s central bank shows how stark is the pessimism among Indians. It also gives various...

-Hindustan Times Responses have been elusive on critical issues, including health care infra, PM Cares fund, schemes, and migrants In the lethal jaws of a pandemic, when lives and livelihoods are at stake, the information law of a democracy is expected to live up to its responsibilities — to empower the citizens and to ensure transparency and accountability. Free flow of information is an essential component of crisis management. And this is...