-PTI Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today alleged that the state was "deliberately left out" by the Centre when announcements were being made for relief packages for states facing drought-like situation. Referring to the relief announced by the Centre for some states like Gujarat, Maharashta and Haryana in view of drought like situation, Badal said "it is unfortunate that Punjab was deliberately left out of its ambit despite the fact that...

-The Economic Times The latest consumption figures from the National Sample Survey Organisation show that rural consumption grew 18% in the two years to 2011-12.  Poverty fell by roughly 7% in villages and 1% in towns. The town-country gap in incomes narrowed. This is welcome but needs to be qualified. 2009-10 was a drought year, depressing consumption and thereby exaggerating the improvement registered two years later.  Over a longer seven-year period, between 2004-05...

-The Times of India India's growth story is undeniable. But the 68th National Sample Survey Organization's (NSSO) findings seem to reaffirm that the benefits from this boost in the Economy have been cornered by the upper crust, while the poorest continue to languish in near destitution. Compared with the previous survey, which was conducted in 2009-10, the monthly expenditure of the poorest 10% population in rural India has risen by only...

-Live Mint In urban India, the ratio of the top and bottom 10% of the economic group increased to 10.9% from 10.1% Economic growth is increasing the income and consumption levels of the average Indian faster than before, but income disparity is getting sharper, especially in the country’s villages, which may require a greater effort aimed at creating jobs in the non-farm sector in rural areas. The increase in inequality is evident from...

Nobel laureate Amartya Sen believes that Team Anna's reading of corruption or what causes corruption or how it can removed is wrong, and that they need to look at how the economic system operates.   In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN Deputy Editor Sagarika Ghose, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said that instead of fasting and protesting, one should try and change the systems that provided incentives for corruption. Below is the transcript of...