Uttar Pradesh government today promised full cooperation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the multi-thousand crore food grain scam in the state.On December 3, Allahabad High Court had directed the central agency for a comprehensive probe in the food grain scam spanning several districts of the state. The orders were passed on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Vishwanath Chaturvedi.The CBI is now probing the scam, which...
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Why microfinance is not half the villain it seems to be by R Jagannathan
A man, crawling on all fours, is searching for something under a tree on a hot summer’s day. A curious passerby stops and asks: “What are you looking for?” The man replies: “I’ve lost my watch.” The passerby asks: “Are you sure it fell near this tree?” The answer: “It’s cooler looking in the shade”.Governments work something like this. They do what they think is easier to do rather than...
More »Abhijeet Sen, Member, Planning Commission interviewed by Rupashree Nanda
Abhijeet Sen, Member, Planning Commission talks about the many contentious issues surrounding the Right to Food Act. Does India have enough grain, is it willing to pledge resources, or is it simply anxious to limit its commitments. In fact, why have a Right to Food at all? Rupashree Nanda: Sir, the many drafts of the ambitious legislation "Right To Food", have been disappointing. The Planning Commission note is almost a let...
More »UP foodgrain scam may require 5,000 FIRs by Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui
It spreads across five countries including Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa and Bhutan, apart from a total of 34 of the 71 districts in Uttar Pradesh. It involves over 450 Class-I government officials and another 800 middle and lower rung subordinates apart from some 10,000 private entities and may require 5,000 FIRs to cover the scam in totality. The foodgrain scam of Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a strong contender for...
More »UN-backed meeting on plant genetic resources opens in Rome
Representatives from more than 60 countries gathered in Rome today for a United Nations-backed meeting to promote the international treaty considered essential for the conservation and use of the world’s threatened plant genetic resources.The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources was adopted by the Conference of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2001 to facilitate international cooperation and the fair exchange of genetic resources.The treaty’s Benefit-sharing Fund (BSF)...
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