-The Hindu Business Line A realistic MSP, better market access and warehouses Agriculture is not a profitable business in India. About 70 per cent of the country’s farmers are struggling to make ends meet. In 2012-13, the NSSO’s ‘Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households’ showed that farmers who own 1 hectare or less of land see an average monthly income of ?5,247, which doesn’t even suffice to meet their household expenses. Prime Minister...
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Reading between the lines: Forget the rhetoric, this is no Budget for India's poor -Harsh Mander
-Scroll.in India's social-sector spending remains woefully low and despite claims of being a pro-farmer Budget, the effective allocations are nearly the same as last year. Some commentators expected that the Union Budget 2017-’18 would craft a sharp departure from earlier budgets of this government. This it would do to mitigate the immense suffering of millions of casual workers, farmers and small traders caused by the “shock and awe” of the astoundingly callous...
More »No one loves the farmer -Ashok Gulati & Siraj Hussain
-The Indian Express They are the largest constituency in UP. Yet, all parties have overlooked their issues Next month, Uttar Pradesh (UP) will have a new popular government, hopefully with a clear mandate. If UP was a country, with a population reportedly of more than 214 million in 2015 (as per UN population projections), it would have been the fifth most populous country in the world after China, India, US and Indonesia....
More »Getting a handle on water for Agriculture use -Ashok Gulati & Gayathri Mohan
-The Indian Express In Budget 2017-18, a sum of Rs 7,377 crore has been allocated to the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, a 42 per cent jump over the revised estimates for FY17. India is home to 17.5 per cent of the world’s population, but has only 4 per cent of the fresh water resources. Agriculture consumes some 78 per cent of the fresh water supply. With increasing urbanisation and industrialisation, India...
More »Again, Centre puts on hold decision on bringing parity in MGNREGA, minimum wages -Jitendra
-Down to Earth Finance Ministry has said that such parity is not possible as it would involve an additional burden of around Rs 10,000 crore on the exchequer The Union Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) puts on hold the consideration of bringing parity of MGNREGS wage with minimum wages of states as its proposal has not got an in-principle approval from the Finance Ministry. According to the MoRD, the finance ministry has...
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