-The Tribune Incentivises ethanol produce to cut crude oil dependence New Delhi: Aiming to reap electoral dividend in the upcoming elections, the government on Wednesday approved a new umbrella scheme to roll out its hiked MSP for farm produce under “Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyaan” (PM-ASHA) for which it has earmarked Rs 15,053 crore. It has also decided to incentivise ethanol production in a bid to reduce crude oil dependence at a...

A 30-year survey of the poor gives a wake-up call POVERTY is becoming hereditary in India, at least for a sizeable population. That is the conclusion derived from a three-decade tracking of poor households in rural India. A survey by the Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC), an international association of researchers and academicians, claims that those who are chronically poor may pass on poverty to their next generation. What’s more, people residing...

**page** [inside]KEY TRENDS of the Union Budget 2023-24[/inside] Budget 2023-24 is the last full budget before the general election scheduled for 2024. An analysis of the budget allocations suggests that the union government has squeezed expenditure, particularly on food subsidy and the NREGA budget, while boosting Capital expenditure and giving the middle class tax benefits. Social sector activists working on Right to Food, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) came out with...