-The Hindu Many States have initiated ‘reforms’ of the public distribution system that are hurting millions of people India’s public distribution system (PDS) is in danger of being derailed in several States across the country. Recent disruptions of the PDS have taken different forms, from compulsory biometric authentication to so-called direct benefit transfer (DBT). The consequences are alarming, but tend to go unreported. Biometric mix-ups Jharkhand is a prime example of this problem. By...
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NREGS job spike because of housing scheme: Government -Subodh Ghildiyal
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Eight key states logged a massive increase in demand for work under the job guarantee scheme MGNREGA this fiscal, an increase that is seen as astronomical in the history of the programme. Three other states saw high demand during the earlier part of the year but have registered a sharp fall in later months. Still, the annual demand for work under MGNREGA is projected to stay...
More »Rural indicators point to worsening farm distress -Sayantan Bera
-Livemint.com Sluggish wage growth, lower crop planting, fluctuating prices paint a dismal picture for farmers and the agriculture sector New data released by the government on rural wages, crop prices and sowing of winter crops reveals that rural distress is worsening. Planting of wheat, the main winter crop, between October and early January was 5% lower than a year ago due to lower sowing in Madhya Pradesh by close to a million hectares;...
More »How PDS can be made effective through better governance -Anjani Kumar and Seema Bathla
-The Financial Express The Odisha experience shows that PDS can play a pivotal role in bringing convergence and making India’s two important missions—food and nutrition security—successful in a short time. New Delhi: India’s public distribution system (PDS) is the largest food security programme in the world, which covers nearly 60% of the population and costs Rs 1.45 trillion—close to 1.4% of the national income. PDS has often been criticised for its structure,...
More »Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh declare drought in 52 districts -Sanjeeb Mukherjee
-Business Standard In MP, reports show sowing of wheat in the ongoing rabi season has been impacted due to low levels in reservoirs The governments of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have officially declared a drought in 270 tehsils spread across 52 districts this Kharif season, Parliament has been informed. So far in Chhattisgarh, 96 tehsils in 21 districts have been declared drought-hit. In MP, 133 tehsils in 18 districts. In Rajasthan, 41...
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