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 …
Power tariffs for agricultural consumers have more than doubled in the past five years even in pollbound states as regulators and utilities have taken steps to control mounting distribution losses, but the sector’s outlook remains wobbly as states are still promising subsidies and unaccounted supplies continue. The most striking rise …
Bowing to a long-pending demand of the mineral-rich states, the coal ministry has sought the Union Cabinet’s approval to implement a new ad-valorem regime for collecting royalty of coal and lignite from both private firms and state-run companies. The move, if implemented, would enrich the coffers of these states by …
A panel chaired by Planning Commission member BK Chaturvedi that was set up by the Group of Ministers last September has recommended that state-owned electricity giant NTPC may consider relocating its 3x660 mega watt North Karanpura project in Jharkhand since it would otherwise block six billion tonnes coal reserves perpetually. …
Instead of giving medicines free only to its own certified poor, the government should subsidise essential drugs for everyone-----------The public distribution system and the employment guarantee scheme are the government’s flagship programmes to reduce poverty. They are also its most effective programmes to create wealth among those in or close …
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to implement the ambitious interlinking of rivers project in a time-bound manner and appointed a high-powered committee for its planning and implementation. Observing that the project has already been delayed resulting in an increase in its cost, a three-judge bench headed by …
Admitting that the healthcare system was “overwhelmed” by inequities, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday said the government would provide universal healthcare in the 12th Plan and take steps to ensure free generic drugs at all public health facilities so as to reduce out of pocket expenditure of patients. …
The Supreme Court today directed the Centre to implement the ambitious interlinking of rivers project in a time-bound manner and appointed a high-powered committee for its planning and implementation. Observing that the project has already been delayed resulting in an increase in its cost, a three-judge Bench headed by the …
Central allocation for the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) has been falling in recent years, with this year recording the steepest decline. Money released for the scheme fell from Rs 35,242 crore last year to Rs 21,441 crore this year, while expenditure has gone down from Rs …
After the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) for Naxal-hit districts, Congress-led UPA government is planning to introduce another ambitious plan to provide livelihood to the affected people through the civil society interface in 170 districts. The rural development ministry and the Planning Commission have formulated a new policy under Bharat Rural …
The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on gas will have to take a call on several issues when it meets on Friday. Among them are: giving continued priority to fertiliser and power sectors in gas allocation, fixing the proportion of fuel supply to non-core sectors like steel, and deciding on …
In 1905, Sir William Osler, the most influential physician of his time, stepped down from the medical faculty of Johns Hopkins University at the age of 55. At his farewell, he emphasized that the “effective, moving, vitalizing work of the world is done between the ages of 25 and 40—these …
Government keen to ensure 75,000-Mw capacity addition in the 12th Five Year Plan After missing targets in the previous two Five Year Plans, the ministry of power now wants to ensure that a capacity addition of 75,000 Mw is achieved in the 12th Plan starting in April. Accordingly, the ministry …
Urge Centre to reform debt-ridden state electricity boards Leading power sector honchos on Wednesday met the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Pulok Chatterjee, and demanded that steps be taken to address their long-pending demands, including immediate allocation of gas to all the projects recommended by the Power Ministry, reforms …
Even while turning down demands for a moratorium on MGNREGS jobs during the agricultural season, the Centre on Wednesday approved new works that aim at boosting the farm sector. Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh released here a report, authored by Planning Commission member Mihir Shah, suggesting revision of the guidelines …
Private power producers sought Government intervention for immediate allocation of gas to projects recommended by the Power Ministry, while seeking a solution to the coal pricing issue. Eight top honchos of the sector, including Mr Anil D Ambani, Mr Cyrus Mistry, Mr G.M. Rao, and Mr Naveen Jindal, under the …
PALAKKAD: The Union Cabinet clearance to set up the coach factory at Kanjikode under public-private- participation mode goes one more step nearer for the coaches to roll out from Kerala. “The UDF Government led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who had constantly followed up the proposal for the coach factory …
New Delhi The country’s energy import bill is on course to balloon further. The missive from the Prime Minister’s Office to Coal India (CIL) that the company must meet at least 80% of the coal requirement of power plants or get ready to pay a penalty will effectively inflate the …
With the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, on Wednesday not approving the procedural relaxations for floating of tenders for roads and highways, the Road Transport and Highways (RTH) Ministry’s target of awarding projects for 7,300 km for the current financial year is unlikely to …
The government has decided to fast-track the clearance of roads and highways projects in the remaining months of the current financial year. After a directive from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the ministry of road transport and highways has decided to award 15 major projects, totalling 1,547 kilometres of roads, this …
The recommendations of the Planning Commission’s High Level Expert Group on Access to Universal Healthcare are significant because they make explicit the need to contextualise health within the rights. However, the problem with the report is that it does not ask why many of the same recommendations that were made …
