-The Hindu Under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan scheme, only 1.08 lakh tonnes have been procured so far. Less than 3% of this season’s sanctioned amount of pulses and oilseeds have actually been procured so far under the once-hyped PM-AASHA scheme, Agriculture Ministry data show. Arrivals of these crops began in October and will end by February. A total of 37.59 lakh metric tonnes of procurement had been sanctioned under the...

-The Indian Express The meeting with Sitharaman comes days after the GST Council informed states that the GST and compensation cess collections in the last few months had become a “matter of concern”. Seven Opposition-ruled states and Union Territories — Punjab, Delhi, Puducherry, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — made a forceful representation to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Wednesday demanding pending compensation under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime,...

-The Hindu The UNESCO report was published by Institute for Lifelong Learning, based on data submitted by 159 countries, including India. Investments in adult learning and education (ALE) have steadily decreased in the last decade. Nearly a fifth of the UNESCO member countries reported spending less than 5% of education budget on ALE and a further 14% reported spending less than 1%, says a UNESCO report published by Institute for Lifelong Learning,...

-The Hindu Letter to States flags falling collections The Centre has written to all the States voicing concern that due to the lower Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections, the compensation cess might not be enough to pay for losses arising out of the tax system. The communication comes at a time when several States, including Rajasthan, Kerala, Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal, have publicly urged the Centre to transfer pending compensation payments...

-The Hindu The slowdown is an outcome of supply-side constraints, says the economist The official GDP growth estimate for the July-September quARTer, at 4.5%, is the lowest in 26 quARTers. Rathin Roy, Director of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, and former member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, discusses the causes of the economy’s troubles and suggests possible remedies. Edited excerpts: * The Finance Minister says the economy is...