-Frontline Reinstatement of the fundamental right to property in the Constitution will on its own do little to protect the interests of poor peasants and traditional communities.  The Indian Constitution adopted in 1950 guaranteed a set of fundamental rights that cannot be abridged by Central or State laws. One of these fundamental rights was the right to property enshrined in Articles 19(1)(f) and 31. Article 19(1)(f) guaranteed to all citizens the right...

-PTI MUMBAI: The cost of production of paddy in Andhra Pradesh was higher than the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1,080 per quintal in the last year mainly because of higher expenditure on wages, says the latest study undertaken by the RBI's research wing. Andhra Pradesh is one of the leading producing states in the country. The study, conducted by the Development Research Group (DRG) of RBI, also said the Commission for...

-Economic and Political Weekly  The Government of India is considering a proposal to notify farming as an essential service. This is ostensibly to bring drought relief to farmers suffering from a weak monsoon - a laudable goal indeed. However, if farming is deemed an "essential service", farmers and farm workers could lose many of their political and civic rights because the government can then invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act to...

-IPS News RAYAGADA- The deafening din of the lunch gong is sweet music to the 200-odd tribal girls rushing down the stairway, clutching stainless steel plates and tumblers. Sikhsya Niketan (House of Education) in Chattikona administrative block of Rayagada district is a residential school meant exclusively for girls of the Dongria Kondh tribe in eastern Odisha state. The school is part of the federal government’s intensified efforts to take universal education to...

-The Times of India The government has allowed foreign investment in a host of sectors including multi-brand retail and civil aviation. The UPA government can expect a roaring reception from the financial markets following the decision. It can also prove to be a mood-enhancer for the Congress-led government as it heads into state polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. Here is how heads of various states responded to the government's decision: Will rollout Haryana...