-The Indian Express Union government must address structural issues in agricultural policy, allow states greater autonomy. Farmers from across the country are out on Delhi’s streets agitating just as the deliberations for the 2018 budget are beginning and it’s time to seek solutions to the structural issues that plague the system. The “one-size-fits-all” policy created for the farm sector is self-destructive in design and programmes meant to double farmer incomes are collapsing. The...
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90% MPs yet to adopt a village in phase-3 of PM plan -Subodh Ghildiyal
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: As many as 475 out of 543 Lok Sabha MPs have not yet identified the village they would adopt for development under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY), in what indicates a steady decline in interest in the central scheme that was launched by PM Narendra Modi with much fanfare. Only 68 Lok Sabha MPs chosen villages for Phase-3 of SAGY in 2017 while a paltry...
More »Delhi air pollution: A (crop) burning issue, and the way out -Harish Damodaran
-The Indian Express Delhi air pollution: The current smog and poor air quality in the National Capital Region has been blamed in part on stubble burning by farmers, especially in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana. What is the genesis of the problem? What are its potential solutions? * How widespread is crop stubble burning? It is mainly confined to Punjab, Haryana and parts of western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where farmers grow paddy and...
More »Denial of MGNREGA entitlements continues in blatant violation of Supreme Court orders
-Press release from NREGA Sangharsh Morcha The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Swaraj Abhiyan in the Supreme Court on the severe drought conditions in the country had drawn the attention of the Court to the inadequate effort of the Central and state governments in implementing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), amongst other welfare programmes. In its last judgment on issues of MGNREGA workers on 13 May...
More »Jean Dreze, development economist, interviewed by Santwana Bhattacharya (The New Indian Express)
-The New Indian Express NEW DELHI: Amid controversial reports of hunger deaths in Jharkhand due to PDS beneficiaries being turned away, economist Jean Dreze says that even official records show that a significant proportion of people are being deprived of food rations every month. In an interview with New Sunday Express, the prime mover behind the NREGA welfare scheme said “this does not mean that Aadhaar is solely responsible for the failures...
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