Arjun Kumar Sengupta, a developmental economist and Member of the Rajya Sabha, passed away on Sunday evening. He was 73 and is survived by his wife Jayshree Sengupta and daughter Madhura Sengupta who teaches in Canada. He has had a multi-faceted career as a academician, economic policy administrator and a Parliamentarian. “I am deeply grieved to learn about the sad demise of Dr Arjun Kumar Sengupta, Member of Parliament. He will...

Considerable sections of the urban population may face serious food insecurity even while the urban economy grows. There is a need for urgent action on this front. Over the two decades of rapid growth of the Indian economy, the urban economy is generally perceived as having done very well. However, high urban economic growth need not by itself imply improved living standards for all urban residents. In particular, the recent and...

The Planning Commission has expressed inability to provide funds for implementing the National Food Security Act in the final lap of the Eleventh Five Year Plan, arguing that doing so would mean it will have to divert funds from existing schemes. Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, in his presentation before the National Advisory Council (NAC) here on Friday, proposed the rollout of the scheme from the beginning of...

Trade unions and labour rights activists blame the high suicide rate in Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, on the practices of the garment industry. TIRUPUR has carved out a niche for itself in the world of garments. Its phenomenal growth in the highly competitive global scenario, particularly in the past two decades, has been made possible by the entrepreneurial spirit of its manufacturers and exporters and the sweat and labour of thousands of...

The National Advisory Council will meet on Friday again to discuss the National Food Security Bill but the basic tablet of principles could be substantially changed with the Sonia Gandhi-led group taking a U-turn away from its earlier demand for universalisation of the public distribution system. The proposal supported by the Planning Commission, suggesting that the Tendulkar committee figures for those living below the poverty line be the cut off...