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: In its latest report on water pollution in rivers and lakes, the Comptroller and Auditor General has blamed the National River Conservation Authority, headed by the PM failing to effectively monitor projects. The CAG report, tabled in Parliament on Friday, said the NRCA failed to hold any review …
JAMMU: Arguing the case of a healthy annual plan for next financial year and extension of Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan for another year to facilitate completion of development works, the State Government today sought a special power grant for Jammu and Kashmir from the Planning Commission of India. In its …
The coal ministry has decided to bar captive coal miners from raising production beyond the approved level, rejecting industry demands and the proposal from the Planning Commission to allow excess output to ease fuel scarcity. The coal ministry has prepared the policy, but is waiting for law ministry’s approval before …
New Delhi The finance ministry, which has been strongly pushing for decontrolling the price of urea, a commonly used fertiliser, has finally decided against it. It has now endorsed the fertiliser department's apprehension that the price to the farmer will shoot up sharply once producers are given pricing freedom. The …
Buying and running cars and two-wheelers could soon become a costly affair with a Planning Commission working group suggesting a green surcharge of Rs 2 on every litre of petrol, a green cess of 3% of the annual insured value of all private vehicles and a steep urban transport tax …
Wants to take control of medicine price regulator from the chemicals ministry. The health ministry may oppose the market-based price fixing model suggested in the draft National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy (NPPP). The ministry is of the opinion that a market-based pricing strategy, which in a broad sense takes the average …
With an eye on the coming UP Assembly polls, the government has intensified its push for bettering the execution of the Bundelkhand package worth Rs 7,266 crore. Spearheading the campaign, the Planning Commission on Monday told the top brass of UP and MP governments that unless the package was aptly …
Farmers form companies by pooling together land and sign lucrative deals with retailers and exporters NIDHI NATH SRINIVAS NEW DELHI Farmers are joining India Inc in mind, body and spirit. In a quiet revolution underway across the countryside, growers are setting up companies, replete with balance sheets, professional CEOs, board …
India’s coal deficit is expected to double to 265 million tonnes in the next five years despite a threefold increase in government spend on the sector. Importing such quantity of coal even at today’s prices would mean a whopping $32 billion forex bill, but it would be necessary to light …
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that compensation in death category should also be given to those who died of partial effect in Bhopal gas tragedy. Rest of 20 wards of Bhopal should also be declared as gas-affected. CM in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on June …
Delhiites may soon need to pay for driving into a congested area in the city during peak-hour traffic with the city Government seriously considering introduction of such fee to discourage people from using private vehicles. “It is under consideration,” Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said when asked about the long-debated proposal. …
JHANSI: Unhappy over poor implementation of the Centre's Bundelkhand package, Planning Commission's deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said here on Sunday that he would write to the chief ministers of UP and MP about the state of affairs. "Out of three years of time limit given to implement the package, …
NEW DELHI: Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has sought Rs 1,040 crore from the Centre as a one-time project-mode-assistance to complete some vital infrastructure development works. Dr Sangma met the Member Secretary of Planning Commission on Tuesday and demanded an early release of the additional fund. “Meghalaya could not …
Permanent restoration works to be covered under SPA/STF JAMMU: Planning Commission of India today cleared flood protection projects and two major schemes of Leh Master Plan, funding for which would start from the beginning of the next financial year. However, the permanent restoration works would be covered under the Special …
Aims to reduce revenue losses, improve water supply The Delhi Jal Board's ambitious plan to outsource water distribution and revenue collection on a pilot basis in three areas based on a public-private partnership basis has been accorded administrative approval. At a Jal Board meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit …
The High Level Expert Group on Universal Health Coverage for India on Sunday held a brainstorming session here to address concerns raised by the World Bank over some of the recommendations in its report for the 12th Five Year Plan. Among the issues raised were marginalisation of the private sector …
PANJIM: Union Minister for Tourism Subodh Kant Sahai has said that issues pertaining to garbage treatment and lack of proper sewerage system need to be tackled as a mission such that Goa can proudly claim that it has the cleanest beaches in the world. Sahai, who is in Goa for …
There has been an upsurge of public discussion on a number of inter-related issues revolving around official assessments of poverty, the linking of welfare entitlements to poverty status, the reasonableness of officially stipulated money-metric poverty lines, the relative virtues of universalisation and targeting of welfare benefits, and the fiscal sustainability …
Unlike the present system of allocation of funds to states on health care by the Centre, the high-level experts group (HLEG) on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in its report to the Planning Commission have recommended “flexible” and “differential norms” for allocating finances to the states. The report which is to …
