-Hindustan Times The government could move away from large hikes in support prices for farmers, agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh hinted on Wednesday, signalling a key farm policy shift aimed at rationalising subsidies and taming inflation. The minister said some people thought the “only way to shore up farmer income is through minimum support prices”. “Wrong. This alone won’t do unless farmers diversify their activities into livestock, kitchen gardens, fishery etc. That’s our...

-The Financial Express The previous government gave in to Luddite, anti-development NGOs and deferred the introduction of GM food crops in our country. The present government seems to be held in thrall by an unusual coalition of nativists and leftists. In the process, the Indian farmer is suffering. It appears that, for several years now, we have been importing edible oil derived from GM oilseeds. The oil importers lobby are OK...

-The Tribune A confession by IMF economists in the flagship magazine stating that the kind of growth promoted by neoliberalism promotes inequality has created a buzz. Once in a while, something unexpected happens so stunningly that one finds it unbelievable in the first instance. A group of three economists in IMF's research department has written a joint paper criticising some key aspects of IMF's creed of neo-liberalism. It appears as unbelievable as...

At the Labour Line office of Aajeevika Bureau situated at Syphon Chouraha on Bedla Road in Udaipur, Santosh Poonia said that 12,926 calls were received by his office between August 2011 and March 2016, out of which almost 37 percent were payment-related grievance calls. During the same time-span, 2,008 payment-related cases (as received by the Labour Line office) could be settled. Poonia, who is Programme Manager (Legal Education and Aid...

-Business Standard A recent report suggests different ways to eliminate poverty and argues that accelerated growth is the most suitable medicine to reduce incidence of poverty Adding some and modifying some others is how the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is planning to go about its welfare programmes in the coming days. While the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) is likely to be extended to some private schools, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural...