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 …
BEYOND USUAL SUSPECTS A case for neglected species in wildlife research and conservation For most of us wildlife is represented by large mammals like elephant, rhino, lion and tiger, may be birds like hornbill, raptors, peafowl and waterfowl and awe inspiring reptiles like marine turtles, crocodiles, python and king cobra. …
With Planning Commission’s decision to de-link entitlements for poor based on Suresh Tendulkar’s report casting uncertainty on beneficiaries of the proposed National Food Security Bill, Food Minister KV Thomas clarified that the Bill would not be re-opened for discussion and entitlements would be restricted to “priority” category only in the …
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here on Wednesday that the State government disagreed with the Planning Commission's affidavit before the Supreme Court on poverty line. Talking to the media after a meeting of the Cabinet, the Chief Minister said an income of Rs.26 a day a person was not acceptable …
Even as a controversy rages over the Rs. 32 per capita per day poverty line, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has said “it is not all that ridiculous” in Indian conditions. “The fact is that Rs. 4,824 per month for a family [of five] to define poverty is …
Makes case for Attorney General’s argument before SC. With the battle over identifying India’s poor moving to the Supreme Court, the Planning Commission has told Attorney General G Vahanvati that the controversial poverty line will not determine the Centre’s liability on subsidised food, but instead will be based on the …
In a move to rationalise the Centrally Sponsored Schemes under the agriculture ministry, the government will bring down the number of such schemes to just eight from the current 52 in the 12th Five Year Plan that starts from the next financial year. Such a pruning will not only help …
After restructuring almost every scheme in its kitty, the rejuvenated ministry of rural development plans to lend a hand to its urban counterpart in towns and cities that have recently shed their overgrown village tag. The ministry plans to reform one of its ambitious yet unostentatious programmes – Provision of …
In the run-up to the finalisation of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17), the Agriculture Ministry has decided to rationalise its range of ‘Central sector schemes’, marking some of them as national priorities and leaving state governments to focus on items based on their needs. The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, …
Unfazed by criticisms over its affidavit regarding the poverty line, the Planning Commission has decided to stick to its poverty benchmark contending that the level might not be comfortable but it is also “not all that ridiculous from Indian conditions”. “Social activists have vociferously criticised the latest poverty line of …
The below poverty line (BPL) census, which is expected to put the issue of poverty in perspective, will be a scientific exercise of counting the poor, the Planning Commission believes. Embarrassed by the debate on whether its suggestion that a human being can live on Rs 32 a day in …
Coined in 1979, poverty line remains a critical monitoring tool, says Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Alhuwalia while clarifying that the government’s primary focus has been on bringing more and more people out of poverty. In an interview to Deepshikha Sikarwar, Montek also speaks of India facing more uncertainty …
Though the methodology for determining the poor would be based on the socio-economic caste census being undertaken by the Rural Development Ministry, the (Suresh) Tendulkar poverty line would remain a relevant reference point “to see how development is helping to take more and more individuals above a fixed line over …
Seeking to counter the perception of insensitivity, the government and the Planning Commission came together to remove caps on the number of poor an individual state can have and formally de-linked subsidies from the income threshold, but did not agree to change its definition of poverty, at least immediately. The …
The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has recently informed an inter-ministerial panel that it has established a single-window system to track the process of environmental clearances from the districts to the Central level. The move follows criticism faced by the MoEF from several quarters, including the Coal Ministry, that …
New Delhi: Under fire from activists, including NAC’s Aruna Roy and Harsh Mander, for stipulating the poverty line at Rs 32 per capita per day, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday, a day before he is expected to clarify publicly the panel’s …
Kohima: M K Mero, the Commissioner and Secretary of the New Renewable Energy (NRE) has stressed on utility and advantage of the use of solar energy in the Bi-monthly meeting of Administrative Heads of Departments (AHoDs) and Heads of Departments (HoDs) was conducted yesterday at Secretariat Conference Hall Kohima. According …
Thermal power generation in India is set to increase manifold shows an analysis of data from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF). The country’s total thermal capacity as of April 2011 is 113,000 MW. This capacity is proposed to be increased to 701,820 MW, which is six times …
A day after social activist Aruna Roy asked Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia to try living on Rs 32 a day, the Planning Commission has decided to revisit the Rs 32 definition of poverty, at a meeting to be chaired by Ahluwalia on October 3. The relevance of …
After criticism by Jairam Ramesh and NAC members, I&B; Minister Ambika Soni too questions Plan panel’s poverty estimate The government on Friday indicated that the controversial Planning Commission affidavit on poverty figures may be revisited. The affidavit had claimed that a rural poor can manage food, health and educational requirements …
GUWAHATI, Sept 29 – Stating that the Centre has laid special emphasis on the Northeast, the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prof KV Thomas today informed that the proposal for construction of storage godown totalling capacity 5.4 lakh tonnes, at an estimated cost of …
