-Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA) Union Budget 2018-19 is the fifth and the final full-year budget of the current ruling dispensation. The major plank on which this government was elected in 2014 with an exceptional mandate were issues of development related to reducing corruption, generating meaningful employment opportunities, tackling inflation (especially food inflation, an issue plaguing the economy at that point of time), reducing inequality, and pushing the economy...

-The Financial Express Yogendra Yadav’s Swaraj India and some other organisations have released a ‘green paper’ on the status of Indian agriculture and termed the current government ‘most anti-farmer’. According to the ‘green paper’, the government reneged on its core and solemn promise of revising MSP on the cost plus 50% formula, by solemnly affirming in the Supreme Court that this formula suggested by the National Farmers’ Commission and also promised...

-Press Release by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA) New Delhi: The idea of ‘good governance’ has gained a lot of momentum in the recent years and ‘Budget Transparency’ has acquired importance as one of the parameters of ‘good governance’ across the globe. In light of this, it is pertinent to see where India stands in a global survey of budget transparency covering more than 100 countries. A global survey on...

-The Indian Express Pesticide Management Bill should address the anomalies that prevent state governments from booking large pesticide companies. “Until lions have their own historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter,” goes an old African proverb, which is also apt to describe the state of the world’s farmers. Farmers are like the hunted lions who need their side of the story told and their sacrifices, agony, courage and fears...

-PTI Giving further impetus to digital payments, the government will reimburse charges for transaction up to Rs2,000 on debit cards and BHIM New Delhi: Customers will not have to pay any transaction charges for payments through debit card, BHIM app and other payment made for up to Rs2,000 from Monday onwards. Last month, union cabinet approved a proposal that government will bear the merchant discount rate (MDR) charges on transactions up to Rs2,000...