-The Hindu Business Line But manufacturers want subsidy regime to end in order to improve production Kolkata: To curb black-marketing in urea, the Centre in December released a "record" 3.7 million tonnes (mt) into the market, by stepping up imports. The usual monthly requirement of the fertiliser, whose supply is regulated, is 2.5-3 mt. The demand for urea peaks towards end December and early January. India produces approximately 22 mt of urea against the...
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Change in land Act will lead to forcible acquisition: Jairam
-The Indian Express A day after the Centre recommended promulgation of an ordinance to amend Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 and make it less stringent, former rural development minister Jairam Ramesh Tuesday said the change would pave way for forcible acquisition. The Act was moved in the Parliament and passed during Ramesh's term. "Both from the process and substance point of view, this is deeply disturbing....
More »Is MGNREGS reaching its end? -Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay
-The Hindu Business Line The rural job guarantee scheme is threatened by the undermining of its driving force, demand-driven work Is the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) suffering a midlife crisis or are we staring at its death? From a budget of ₹401 billion in 2010-11, it has plummeted to ₹330 billion in 2013-14. Given the much higher wages currently offered to workers, it has taken a serious hit. The...
More »Marginal rise in India's sex ratio at birth
-Business Standard Chhattisgarh reports the highest ratio of 970 while Haryana records the lowest (864) India's sex ratio at birth has risen one point - from 908 in 2010-2012 to 909 in 2011-2013 - according to the latest sample registration system. In rural areas, the ratio was 910, while in urban areas, it stood at 906. The ratio saw a marked difference across states. While Chhattisgarh reported the highest ratio of 970, Haryana...
More »Food Subsidy Concept, Rationale, Implementation Design and Policy Reforms -Bhupat M Desai, Errol D'Souza, and N V Namboodiri
-Economic and Political Weekly This paper counters negative advocacy about the food subsidy, the public distribution system, and farm price supports. It argues that the public food supply chain for market intervention has a favourable impact on the cost-benefit ratio, poverty reduction, calorie consumption by the poor and productivity-LED agricultural growth. The paper proposes reforms for the six pillars of the public food supply chain. These include: an alternative poverty line...
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