Nearly 65% of adults in the Arab region remain excluded from formal financial systems, according to a new report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The Annual SDG Review 2025 paints a sobering picture of persistent financial exclusion that is undermining the region’s ability …
New Delhi The power ministry has stuck to it its original proposal to levy a total of 21% import duty on power equipment despite changes sought by a host of central ministries seeking higher duty protection for the domestic engineering firms such as Bhel and L&T.; In a recent draft …
With India accounting for 1.21 billion people, a call for taking concerted action to stabilise the country’s population was made here on Wednesday on the occasion of World Population Day. A Conference on ‘Population Action: Towards a Better Tomorrow’ was organised at Vigyan Bhavan which mooted repositioning family planning, especially …
State gets high praise from Planning Commission on exceptional performance As projected by the State Government, the Planning Commission has approved the Annual Plan Size 2012-13 for Arunachal Pradesh at Rs 3,535.00 crores. This was finalized at the meeting held between Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and the …
Hundreds of pro-dam activists left Srinagar (Garhwal) in buses on Monday to take part in a one-day dharna by Uttarakhand Minister for Drinking Water & Education Mantri Prasad Naithani at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Tuesday seeking the Prime Minister's sanction to resume work on the stalled hydro-power projects …
Days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh proposed to launch an integrated health mission to pep up urban health, the Union health ministry has started giving final shape to the `17,000-crore National Urban Health Mission. Senior officials in the health ministry revealed that EFC note has been finalised and will be …
Its Projected Outlay For 12th Plan Is 2.69L Cr. An ongoing exercise at the Planning Commission lays bare Bihar’s ambitious growth agenda. Its total plan outlay for the 12th five-year plan (2012-17) at Rs 2.69 lakh crore is more than what a fast growing state like Gujarat has spent in …
Saving the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) — the centrepiece of UPA-I’s achievements in the social welfare sector — from its many critics in government and the media who view it as a drain on the exchequer will head the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC)’s agenda …
Chandigarh: Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today said Punjab could utilise only Rs 29 crore of the Rs 151 crore earmarked for the state to build rural toilets in the past 10 years. Clearly indicating that this was a case of mismanagement, Ramesh said instead of blaming someone else …
A widening gap between governments and the country’s power regulators on rates and related issues has prompted the Centre to propose a legal amendment so as to facilitate review of the performance of regulators. The power ministry, seeking an update of the Electricity Act, 2003, has mooted the formation of …
Calls For Price Adjustment On Fuel, Says Monsoon Delay Not A Big Problem Deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia is a long time aide of PM Manmohan Singh. He has now once again taken over the mantle of assisting Singh in running the finance ministry, a job that …
After electricity, water is literally going to burn a hole in the pockets of Delhiites. Delhi CM Mrs Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday confirmed the government’s plan of privatisation of Delhi Jal Board, following a model similar to the one followed by the discoms for power distribution. The privatisation will result …
Guwahati: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said Assam’s erosion problem will be included in the list of the country’s natural disasters, a move that will enable the state government to spend central relief funds (CRF) to tackle the issue. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said Tuesday that the move will …
Says saline water from south-west Punjab may travel to other areas Chandigarh: Waterlogging in south-west Punjab could jeopardise food grain production with an expert group led by Planning Commission member Mihir Shah claiming that saline water from waterlogged areas could travel to central parts of the state through continuous aquifers. …
An eight-member central team comprising members from the Planning Commission, Central Water Board and drainage experts on Monday visited the water-logged villages in Muktsar, where a large swath of land has turned barren. The team led, by Dr Mihir Shah, member, Planning Commission of India, visited the three worst-affected villages …
New Delhi India is considering various measures including extension of price preference to domestic suppliers to curb the use of imported equipment in national solar mission projects. The government is contemplating changes in the equipment sourcing policy ahead of the bidding for the second phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National …
The Center for Study of Science Technology and Policy (CSTEP), a not-for-profit policy research think-tank in Bangalore developed a systems' map to provide a more rigorous grounding for the scenarios. System dynamics techniques were used to understand different aspects in defining the future of India. The systems' analysis constituted several …
New Delhi Even as the Prime Minister pitches for infrastructure investments, the Union environment ministry is planning to reduce the area available for mining and other infrastructure projects. Official sources told FE the ministry would soon earmark “inviolate areas” which would apply to all development and infrastructural projects, besides subsuming …
The Annual Plan for Bihar for 2012-13 was on Wednesday finalised at Rs. 28,000 crore at a meeting here between Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia and State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Initiating the discussions with issues before the Planning Commission, Mr Ahluwalia said the Commission was looking to …
Rs 300 cr to go for development of Eastern Nagaland DIMAPUR: The Nagaland State Annual Plan outlay for 2012-13 has been fixed at Rs 2300 crores which represents a 27 per cent growth over last year’s plan outlay of Rs 1810 crore. The State plan outlay was fixed on June …
New Delhi: Days after he differed with NDA partners over the choice of the presidential poll nominee, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has managed to get the Centre to double the special assistance package to Rs 20,000 crore during the 12th five year Plan (2012-17). The state will get Rs …
