-Down to Earth The programme can provide a safety net for the poor, not just in COVID-19 times, but for times to come In these darkest days of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) — when jobs and economies have collapsed — 56 million households got work in the past three months and these jobs provided relief. This was under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which perhaps is the...

-The Hindu Business Line Farm leaders pitch for public SECtor entity for efficient and transparent settlement The dominance of private insurers, their lack of adequate on-ground physical presence coupled with opacity in settlements are some factors that have not helped the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) scheme take off on expected lines. With multiple gaps in the current crop insurance structure, experts have called for making crop insurance a basic right for...

-The Indian Express “Private consumption has lost its discretionary elements across the board, particularly transport services, hospitality, recreation and cultural activities,” the RBI said in its Annual Report for 2019-20. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Tuesday indicated that the economy which is expected to contract for the first time ever, will take “quite some time to mend and regain” the pre-Covid momentum, as the “shock to consumption is severe” and the...

-The Hindu Devising State-specific industrialisation strategies in coordination with the Centre will improve manufacturing Many think that in the aftermath of the pandemic, several manufacturing companies operating from China will relocate their businesses to other destinations, including India. Many American, Japanese, and South Korean companies based in China have initiated discussions with the Indian government to relocate their plants to India. Companies are expected to exit China due to three primary reasons....

-TheWire.in An increase in prices of pulses affects consumption and has ramifications for food and nutritional SECurity. In April 2020, the retail prices of Moong and Urad increased by 25% and 11% compared to their five-year monthly average prices. Also, the retail prices of Moong in 2020 have consistently remained 25% more than the monthly five-year average prices for the period of March to July. An increase in prices of pulses affects consumption and...