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 Punjab, the grain bowl of India, is in danger of losing the coveted tag as depleting groundwater levels force the state to seriously consider reducing the planting of water-intensive paddy crop in the medium-to-long term to avoid a disaster. After a recent meeting with Punjab chief minister Parkash …
It will be a while before Karnataka can expect any grant from the Centre for drought relief. The Central drought assessment team headed by Parvesh Sharma on Wednesday directed the State government to furnish detailed statistics within a week’s time. The officials, at a meeting presided over by Chief Minister …
This despite the recommendation of National Forest Commission'' The State has failed to frame its own forest policy even six years after the National Forest Commission recommended that each State should have its own policy for sustainable development of forests and wildlife resources. The Comptroller and Audit General (CAG) Report …
The Annual Plan for Punjab for the current fiscal has been finalised at Rs.14,000 crore at a meeting here between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Initiating the discussions on Punjab's Plan performance, Mr. Ahluwalia lauded the State Government's efforts towards improving the …
GANDHINAGAR: A high-level committee of Government of India's (GoI's) finance ministry has cleared a proposal that would enable the Gujarat government to receive nearly 90 per cent of all funds over the new five-year plan, 2012-17, for completing the unfinished task of building canal network of the Sardar Sarovar Project …
New Delhi The Planning Commission today approved a plan outlay of Rs 14,000 crore for Punjab during 2012-13, an increase of 12 per cent compared to the previous fiscal. The state outlay was finalised by Commission's Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister of Punjab Prakash Singh Badal in …
Planning Commission nod for cancer hospital in Malwa; water-logging, depleting water table to be dealt with. The Planning Commission today approved an annual plan outlay of Rs 14,000 crore for Punjab for the 2012-13 financial year. The amount has been hiked by 10 per cent as compared to last year's …
The Centre is expected to release a first instalment of about `700 crores assistance for drought relief works in Maharashtra in the next few days. Union ministers Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Mr Sharad Pawar, Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal and the deputy chairman planning commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia are expected to meet …
In the absence of any viable regulatory mechanism for gene technology, the Supr-eme Court has set up a six-member expert committee to monitor field trials on certain crops using genetically-modified organisms. The panel. which has three months to submit its rep-ort, will ensure that the open tests do not have …
The revival of the Namrup fertiliser plant depends on the finalisation of its funding pattern. The Planning Commission has suggested that the funding pattern has to be finalised before seeking in-principle approval for the project and hence the Department of Fertilisers may explore the possibility of open bidding and expression …
An inter-ministerial panel has been set up to find a solution to the dispute between the Ministries of Coal and Petroleum on simultaneous extraction of gas and coal. The panel, headed by Member Planning Commission, Mr B. K. Chaturvedi, is expected to meet on May 16. Official sources said that …
The gross growth rate of Madhya Pradesh was over 10 percent during the 11th Five-Year Plan. Target of 12 percent growth rate is proposed for the 12th Five-Year Plan. This information was given at meeting held in connection with preparations for the meeting of the Planning Commission here today. The …
The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee has set up an 'emergency assistance committee' to tackle issues related to scarcity of water and fodder due to drought situation in the state. The cell has been set up by MPCC chief Manikrao Thakre to coordinate relief efforts in view of the drought, MPCC …
High cost of coal mining in India is under the spotlight as ministries bicker over the price that should be paid for surplus output from captive mines – a debate that has delayed policy formulation for extracting surplus coal and forced industry to import at significantly higher prices. Coal India’s …
The ministry of power has made it mandatory to procure transmission services for new projects through a rate-based competitive regime. The objective is to increase private participation in the development of electricity infrastructure. Till now, eight inter-state transmission projects have been allotted on the basis of competitive bidding at an …
The government plans to empower the regulator being set up for the coal sector with the authority to decide pricing. The proposal, if implemented, would deprive state-owned Coal India (CIL) the freedom it currently enjoys in fixing and revising prices of its output. “The regulator’s primary function would be to …
New Delhi Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday reiterated his opposition to the food ministry’s proposal for providing grain as part-payment of wages under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). “The work carried out under the food-for-work programme was really of bad quality and we do not want …
The government has begun consultations on disposal of surplus coal from captive mines amid differences among various ministries over the subject. The process was initiated after the prime minister’s office asked the coal ministry to withdraw a notified surplus coal policy and hold inter-ministerial consultations. A senior government official said …
The Centre on Tuesday unveiled the expanded version of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, allowing over 30 new permissible works, as productivity-enhancing activity. The gram panchayats alone have been empowered to decide on the priority of work to be taken up. Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam …
The rural development minister. Mr Jairam Ramesh, today tabled the ‘MNREGA 2.0’ ~ the second generation reforms for the rural job scheme ~ in both Houses of Parliament. However, the rural development ministry now seems to be heading for a “cold war” with the finance minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, who …
