The fertiliser ministry is mooting a proposal to raise urea prices by 10%. With this proposed revision, which will have to be endorsed by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, urea prices will go up from Rs 5,310 per tonne to Rs 5,841 per tonne. This will help the government to reduce its annual subsidy burden by around Rs 2,000 crore. At present , the annual urea subsidy bill is in...
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Kudankulam row: Government has problems with foreign-funded NGOs, but is comfortable with corporate lobbying-Kiran Karnik
Do dollars dictate dissent? Are agendas altered as advised? Government statements related to these questions - specifically, the foreign funding of non-government organisations (NGOs) involved in the protests against nuclear power at Kudankulam - generated much discussion. The uproar is over, and Kudankulam will soon be operational. However, many wider issues remain, and these merit consideration. Among these, two significant ones are the role of NGOs - or, more specifically, civil...
More »Land baby steps with elbow room
-The Telegraph The Mamata Banerjee government today took “baby steps” in easing its seemingly inflexible stand on land. It has allowed more industries to hold land in excess of the ceiling with prior approval. Also, in the clause that allows government-owned companies to lease out land for townships, prior approval is not mentioned. The amendments to the land and land reforms act do not hold any big surprises but by passing them today,...
More »Govt rejects CBI, CVC opposition to new foreign bribery bill by Nagendar Sharma
The government has overruled the objections raised by the CBI and CVC on the introduction of a new anti-graft law to book foreign government officials and agents allegedly involved in acts of corruption in India. The department for personnel and training (DoPT) has rejected their argument that the existing Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) is enough to deal with graft and changes should be made to it rather than going...
More »Pawar bats for Bt cotton-Vibha Sharma
Cotton production in the country has more than doubled due to the use of Bt cotton seeds, said Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today, batting in favour of the contentious genetically modified crop that is coming under increasing attack from activists and farmers for “stagnant yields, pest resistance and evolution of new pest and disease attacks”. In response to concerns raised in the Rajya Sabha over low yields due to the hybrid...
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