-IANS NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Saturday approved a three-fold hike in the margin money from Rs 70 to Rs 200 per quintal to ration dealers in the national capital, said food and civil supplies minister Imran Hussain. "The ration dealers will now get Rs 2 per kg in place of existing 70 paise per kg," the government said in a statement. The announcement by the minister came following the cabinet, headed...
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Rash U-turns, half-baked plans -Jean Dreze
-The Indian Express Social policy is in danger of getting lost in electoral histrionics. As the country inches towards parliamentary elections, a deep confusion pervades the realm of social policy. When the Narendra Modi government came to power five years ago, there were high expectations of a rollback in welfare schemes. The previous government, so went the story, had gone overboard with social spending, and Modi would set this right. In...
More »Casting the Net: India's Public Distribution System after the Food Security Act -Jean Dreze, Prankur Gupta, Reetika Khera and Isabel Pimenta
-Economic and Political Weekly A broad-brush assessment of the public distribution system is presented in six of India’s poorest states—Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal—soon after the National Food Security Act, 2013 came into force. Important gains have been made, including broader coverage, lower targeting errors, accelerated PDS reforms, and a greater political commitment to food security. In four of the six reference states, the PDS seems to...
More »Upper caste Hindus richest in India, own 41% of total assets; STs own 3.7%, says study on wealth distribution -Anjali Marar
-The Indian Express A two-year-long study jointly undertaken by the SPPU, JNU and Indian Institute of Dalit Studies has revealed that only 22.3 per cent of the country’s higher caste Hindus own 41 per cent of the country’s total wealth Pune: Caste continues to play a significant role in the educational and professional choices available to an individual, and the resultant income and assets, reveals a two-year-long study jointly undertaken by...
More »The Modi Years: Do farmers have better protection against crop losses? -Mridula Chari
-Scroll.in Private insurance companies have benefitted more than farmers from the new crop insurance scheme. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana was launched to expand crop insurance coverage in India But coverage has shrunk, despite compulsory enrollment of farmers at the time of taking loans Private companies retain a larger share of government funds than before Farmer groups have opposed compulsory enrollment and complained about payment delays. In its manifesto for the...
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