This budget season, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is stuck juggling multiple imperatives. Big social-sector schemes are soaking up money; yes, the economy is rebounding, but growth needs careful watching; the fiscal deficit is widening, feeding inflationary fears; and, as usual, every ministry wants more money. It doesn’t surprise much, therefore, that the finance ministry is looking for ways in which government expenditure can be managed better. One giant hole has...

The two-day state-level research and extension specialists workshop for kharif crops organized by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) was inaugurated on Monday. PAU vice-chancellor Dr MS Kang visited the exhibition of latest farm technologies that was put up on the occasion and released the publications 'Use of mat type nursery and transplanting machinery for paddy', 'Improved design and cost estimates of net houses', and 'Rainwater harvesting from rooftop for groundwater recharge'...

There’s both good news and bad news on the food front.   The good news is that wheat, maize and pulses production during the current year will be the highest that India has seen. Wheat production was expected to be high, thanks to the twin advantages of a high procurement price —- higher than international prices —- and favourable weather conditions. But pulses production too has zoomed, because of the soaring prices in the...

Buoyed by its success in increasing pulses production in India through effective implementation of National Food Security Mission (NFSM), the government is likely to bring production of millet and fodder under the mission’s ambit in the forthcoming Budget. The programme which will be on the lines of accelerated pulses production programme (A3P) is expected to be operationalised in the next one year. Officials said this programme, which would be part of NFSM...

The first issue in food security is India’s Hunger index. The Global Hunger Index released by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) places India 67th in rankings with a score of 24.1, far below China and below Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal. According to FAO, about 25% of world’s undernourished live in India. The proposed Food Security Act is seen as the key instrument of intervention to remedy this situation. The...