Direct cash Transfers or food coupons should be used by the government to provide services to the poor, says Farzana Afridi, Assistant Professor, Economics and Planning Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi. Afridi, who obtained her PhD in economics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and an MA in economics from the Delhi School of Economics, says that although the Mid Day Meal Programme is having a substantial effect, the...

-The Indian Express The subsidy bill in the current financial year is expected to rise to 2.4 per cent of the GDP from 1.9 per cent estimated in the Budget, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said today. "The estimated major subsidies in 2012-13 would be around 2.4 per cent of GDP," he said while intervening in a discussion at the meeting of the Full Planning Commission to approve the 12th Plan draft document. The...

-The Indian Express Full Planning Commission chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today approved 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) document that proposes to lower annual average economic growth rate target during the period to 8.2 per cent from 9 per cent envisaged earlier in view of fragile recovery. "The Full Planning Commission approved the draft 12th Five Year Plan document, subject to certain suggestions made in the meeting," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman...

-The Times of India Fireworks are expected at the all-important Planning Commission meeting, chaired by PM Manmohan Singh, on Saturday over the panel's latest move to take over complete control of the country's flagship National Health Mission (NHM). In what is being seen as the biggest push to privatize healthcare in India, the commission on Wednesday sent the health ministry a finalized draft, which informed that NHM is being made into an...

-The Indian Express Wage growth in agriculture outpacing that in industry is a bad sign for the economy Against a 63 per cent rise in industrial wages in a 10-year period, agricultural wages in the harvesting season have risen by 117 per cent, according to data released by the agriculture ministry this week. The difference in the rise in wages in the two sectors, from comparable bases, is not a statistical artefact....