-Livemint.com The challenge of employment may be the next big crisis that the government may have to face Two of the burning issues currently dominating the public discourse are the amendments to the land acquisition bill proposed by the National Democratic Alliance and the ongoing crisis in agriculture. At the centre of all this is the Indian Farmer, who, on the one hand, is struggling to save his land from draconian amendments to...

-Business Standard Says Parlt panel suggestion of MSP at 50% more than cost will distort market; also declines suggestions for region-wise floor prices The government believes fixing a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for agricultural commodities which is 50 per cent more than the cost of production could distort the market and encourage inefficient production. It would also go against the principle of comparative advantage in producing specific crops. In its Action Taken Report on...

-The Indian Express The debate on the land acquisition bill and the tragic suicide of a Farmer in Delhi compel us to reflect on a theme of enduring significance: the role of agriculture and Farmers in development. What has the historical experience all over the world been? How is India’s agrarian narrative different — or identical? What can India learn from international experience? Many years ago, I wrote a book, Democracy, Development...

-The Hindu Adilabad: Tribal Farmers face same adversities which dog ryots of other regions, yet taking an extreme step is rare among them. For a brief while, Pendur Somu, the Gond Patel of Jodeghat village, seemed lost when he was asked why Adivasi Farmers do not resort to suicide when in distress. A smile soon broke out on his face as he grasped the significance of such a question. “Can we repay the...

-The Indian Express A little more than a week ago, World Bank chief Jim Yong Kim praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for launching the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), which he called an “extraordinary effort” at financial inclusion. According to the Union finance ministry, India has attained 99 per cent financial inclusion, measured as households’ access to bank accounts. Within three months of launching the PMJDY, the government entered the Guinness...