BIDDING for the first phase of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission has put a question mark on the ambitious target set to augment the country’s energy needs through the solar route. Of the 30 short-listed bidders, almost 20 have had nothing to do with solar photo voltaic (PV) power. Some …
The new nutrient-based fertiliser subsidy policy provides implicit incentives to farmers to test soil samples regularly and get crop-wise recommended doses of nutrients, and offers prospective benefits from the agro-environmental management point of view. A study of six villages in the lower Bhavani Basin in Tamil Nadu reveals that despite …
There is no doubt US President Barack Obama was in India on a business trip. His recent electoral losses weighed heavily with him when he stitched up deals, reportedly worth US $10 billion, that would create about 50,000 jobs back home. His visit and the sweetener of support for India’s …
Across Navargaon village in Korchi tehsil of Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district one can see wheat spread out to sun on cots outside every home. The wheat is worm infested and Bhimabai Katenge, one of the residents, holds up a handful to show that the grains are nearly hollow. “This is the …
CHHATTISGARH “It was a crazy time and we took great risks,” said Alok Shukla. “Sometimes I shudder to think what would have happened if we had not succeeded. We would have been facing audit questions the rest of our lives.” Shukla was referring to his challenging time as food secretary …
WORLD’S leading green energy producers, Japan and the US have accused Canada and China of unfairly promoting domestic manufacturers of renewable energy equipment. Japan filed a complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against Canada on September 13 because one of its provinces, Ontario, passed a green energy act in …
He is a former MLA, a khandani landlord and owns more than 121 hectare (ha) apart from many local businesses. Known as the ‘sarkar’ of Sonkachch tehsil of the dry Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh (MP), Rajendhra Singh Baghel met natural farming guru Subhash Palekar about 10 years ago. Today, …
On the genesis of the scheme Our target is to ensure not a single milk producer in Anand and Khera districts of Gujarat defecates in the open. This is the region where the milk movement began in 1946, where we strive to improve the quality of the milk chain— from …
Vijay Jawandhia is a farmer in Vidarbha, the region which brought home to us the crisis that is compelling farmers to kill themselves. He is also a leader of farmers. Recently, he spoke of new challenges: "In my village we are hiring vehicles and bringing people from cities to work …
An analysis of the Union Budget 2010-11 must take account of the fact that while expenditure on infrastructure is geared primarily towards meeting the long-term development needs of the business community, social welfare expenditure merely serves the purpose of immediate political gains of the parties in power.
State-run firms together lost Rs 440 cr per day in the fortnight ended March 31. The retail losses that the country's oil marketing companies incur on sale of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and kerosene at subsidised prices have risen by 7.3 per cent to around Rs 440 crore per day …
If you thought the Rs 60,000-crore farm loan waiver is the only spending that will dent Finance Minister P Chidambaram's fiscal prudence, think again. The Union Fertiliser Ministry has demanded an extra Rs 60,000 crore for fertilizer subsidy and unlike the loan waiver that's spread over three years, the subsidy …
The agricultural loan waiver valued at Rs.60,000 crore announced in Budget 2008-09 has dominated discussions on the Budget. Coming after four years of conservative reformism, in the midst of an agrarian crisis marked by farmers' suicides, this sudden decision to provide relief to an indebted farming community has been interpreted …
It is clear from Budget 2008 that the UPA, instead of abandoning its neoliberal agenda in an election year, has decided to stick to it resolutely. R.V. MOORTHY Finance Minister P. Chidambaram addressing a national conference on the Union Budget organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and …
India's largest crude oil producer Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is on the verge of reporting "losses' on every barrel of crude oil that it sells due to the high subsidy burden that it has to bear. This would be the first time that ONGC will post negative margins …
Till the very last rupeeAn undernourished programmeChanging the climate in '08Still at the bottom When the last UNDP report was launched, it raised eyebrows as it suggested that developing countries like India take on emission cuts in addition to the action taken by the richer countries. United Nations Development Programme …
Against the background of a glut in sugarcane production, the State Government has decided to continue with last year's decision to provide transport subsidy to sugar factories to provide relief to sugar factories in varied parts of the state. A meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh okayed the decision …
The Wholesale Price Index numbers for the week ending March 8, released last week, showed that the inflation rate surged almost a percentage point compared to the previous week. It surpassed all expectations (or fears) to touch 5.92 per cent, a benchmark reminiscent of a year ago, when food prices …
The Rs 60,000-crore farm loan waiver package has come under the scanner of world bodies such as Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). The OECD is keen to examine if the package falls under the category of trade-distorting farm subsidies in …
Four Ministers Quote Different Figures, But Govt Showcases It As Commitment To Farmers' Lot What is the anticipated fertilizer bill for 2008-09? Barely two weeks after the Budget was presented, you might think there would be a simple answer to this question. But, it turns out that there are at …
