-The Hindu Letter to States flags falling collections The Centre has written to all the States voicing concern that due to the lower Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections, the compensation cess might not be enough to pay for losses arising out of the tax system. The communication comes at a time when several States, including Rajasthan, Kerala, Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal, have publicly urged the Centre to transfer pending compensation payments...

-The Indian Express The latest NCRB report does not enlist reasons for farmer suicides. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs told Parliament last week that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) had done away with diversified data on farmer suicides in its latest report as many states reported the figure to be “nil”, and hence recording reasons for the suicides was “untenable”. However, an analysis of previous NCRB data shows that states...

-Livemint.com Pronab Sen, director IGC India, speaks about the state of the economy, the challenge before the 15th Finance Commission and the controversy surrounding India’s statistical system NEW DELHI: Pronab Sen, country director of the International Growth Centre (IGC), had a long and distinguished career in the government as the principal adviser in the Planning Commission, the first chief statistician of India as well as the chairman of the National Statistical Commission....

-The Indian Express Sources told The Indian Express that the State Government decided to table the report after a hurried Cabinet meeting late Saturday. During the meeting, sources said, at least two ministers claimed the Cabinet had been “misled” earlier about the contents of the report. The report of the Justice V K Agarwal enquiry commission, which found no evidence to support claims by security forces that 17 people killed in...

-The Hindu Such an ambiguity has serious implications for the design and beneficiaries of schemes meant to help them Who is a farmer? What is the government’s definition of a farmer and how many farmers are there in India by that definition? Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar failed to answer that question when it was asked in Parliament last week. The government’s ambiguity has serious implications for the design and beneficiaries of the...