-Down to Earth Latest NITI Aayog counts no state as ‘achiever’; overall performance of most ‘performing’, ‘laggard’ states towards cutting poverty dipped With every fifth Indian still below the poverty line, the country needs to take huge strides to alleviate poverty. For most states, though, it did not seem the priority, going by the poverty score card in the SDG Index 2019-20 released by the NITI Aayog just before 2019 ended. The index...
More »SEARCH RESULT
Farmers stare at another loss despite good rains. They need a boost from govt -Richard Mahapatra
-Down to Earth Indian farmers have accumulated huge debts due to crop damages and less remunerative price for produce When the National Statistical Office released the advance estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the 2019-20 fiscal year, the optimism for farmers — with an above-normal monsoon — fizzled out. India’s GDP growth for the current financial year was pegged at 5 per cent, the lowest in 11 years. In 2018-19, the...
More »Indian agriculture is under an invisible emergency -Devinder Sharma
-Down to Earth At a time when farmers strive to get the right price for crops, more money in their hands can help reignite the country's economy In 2019, three weeks after the kharif harvesting season began, reports emerged that farmers are selling their produce at a price way below the minimum support price (MSP) announced by the government. Except for a few crops like paddy and maize, market prices for most...
More »After controversy, PPV&FR chair reiterates support for farmer rights -Jitendra
-Down to Earth KV Prabhu says controversial changes noticed recently on his organisation’s website could have been made well before his tenure started The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FR) will work to protect farmers’ rights over plant varieties, its chairperson has reiterated to Down to Earth (DTE) after a controversy erupted recently over changes in its booklet. On December 10, 2019, farmer organisations and activists had sent a letter...
More »Gujarat farmers sow potato seeds registered by PepsiCo, in symbolic protest -Jitendra
-Down to Earth The multinational had sued four farmers in April, triggering a controversy that has now been reignited Farmers in Gujarat have sowed a variety of potato seeds registered by multinational PepsiCo, in a symbolic protest against the food and beverage corporation, a farmer leader told Down to Earth (DTE). “In the last four days, more than 500 farmers have come forward to sow the FC-5 variety of seeds which our organisation...
More »