The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
Social audit of PDS throws up complaints from consumers The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has been extended to agricultural activities in the lands of small and marginal farmers, and farmers belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Castes as per a G.O. issued by the State …
Government will incur an expenditure of Rs.150 crore The Delhi Cabinet on Monday approved implementation of “Dilli Annashree Yojana”, which was announced in the State Budget 2012-13 and seeks to provide food security to two lakh vulnerable households not covered under the Below Poverty Line and Antodaya Anna Yojana schemes …
The Delhi Cabinet today gave its approval for implementing the 'Dilli Annashree Yojana', announced in the Budget 2012-13, in order to provide food security to two lakh vulnerable households, not covered under Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antyodaya Ahar Yojana (AAY) schemes. The cabinet also recommended to the Lieutenant Governor …
The increase in corruption in coal is closely linked to the increasing importance of this mineral in the economy and of the industry in political funding. And the rot in coal runs deep and wide, reports M Rajshekhar It was a roundtable on ‘campaign finance reforms in India’, but it …
If the Centre is not yet convinced that it can provide foodgrains to everyone and not just to those who are below the Poverty Line, it can turn to the example of several State governments who have already done so, said Surya Kanta Mishra, Leader of the Opposition in the …
The Left parties, including the CPM, on Tuesday managed to attract a section of the civil society members and intellectuals, who had crossed swords with them in the past bitterly criticising their government in West Bengal over Singur and Nandigram, to their campaign demanding immediate legislation on food security. Activists …
This new report by IISD reviews the existing mechanism of subsidy delivery through public distribution systems and examines the possibility of using cash transfers as an option for fossil-fuel subsidy reform. It focuses specifically on kerosene distributed through the PDS and domestic LPG. This report revisits and reviews the existing …
This policy brief summarizes two research papers on fossil-fuel subsidy reform in India and highlights the key policy recommendations. The Government of India spent over US$ 9 billion subsidizing fuel products – diesel, kerosene, LPG and, to a lesser extent, gasoline – in 2010-11. The Government’s total subsidy expenditure (including …
Representatives of All India Democratic Women’s Association blocked roads in front of the KSRTC bus station, opposing the draft of the National Food Security Bill, which will be brought up in Parliament soon. The rally began at the H N Circle where the protesters burnt effigies representing the ruling party. …
THE UPA government’s Food Security Bill (FSB) has managed to draw flak from almost every quarter, starting with agencies within the government led by the Minister of Agriculture himself, followed by several experts and public interest groups. This controversial law originates from the National Advisory Council which has drafted it …
To reach out to the poor, an ambitious scheme called ‘Dilli Annashree Yojna’ is to be launched to provide a food subsidy of Rs 600 per month to two lakh vulnerable household not covered by BPL and Antyodaya schemes. It is expected to cost the government Rs 150 crore in …
Petrol, diesel prices rise in some states, fall in some after adjustment in surcharge Oil marketing companies (OMCs) have reworked the surcharge paid towards various state levies. This has led to prices of petroleum products increasing in states such as Maharashtra, Assam and West Bengal and declining in others such …
The Union ministry of food has recommended continuing the subsidy for edible oil distribution, given the rising trend in prices and anticipated shortfall in final production in the kharif season. The subsidy scheme under the public distribution system involves distributing edible oil at Rs 15 per kg to individual states. …
Agartala: The Central government has provided additional quota of rice at a subsidized rate for the poor living in 12 backward districts in the Northeast, a State government official said here on Monday. “The union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution on the direction of the Supreme Court …
The government has in principle decided to expand the coverage of population under the proposed Food Security Bill to include almost 70 per cent of Indians, who will have the legal right to cheap food, against the earlier proposal of 64 per cent of the same. It will also end …
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called a meeting tomorrow to discuss an alternative plan for the National Food Security Bill, the ruling coalition’s most ambitious social security programme. Also termed ‘Plan B’, it seeks to widen the numbers covered under the programme to about 68 per cent of the entire …
KOLKATA, 10 JULY: The state government distributed only 12.7 per cent of the food grain "specially" allotted by the Centre for the 10 backward districts in the state in the last fiscal year, said Mr KV Thomas, the Union minister of state (independent charge) for consumer affairs, food and public …
National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy and several activists, including Jean Dreze, Annieraja and Harsh Mander, have appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reverse the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs decision to export foodgrain as a means to liquidate stocks. They have, instead, urged him to universalise public distribution …
The recurrent global food price spikes in 2008 and 2010 rekindled interest in the use of national foodgrain stockpiles (“stocks”) to enhance food security. They were a commonly used instrument in government responses to these food prices spikes. They were also widely considered as a useful tool after the 1974 …
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)has set up a Rs 20,000 crore project to reach broadband connectivity to an estimated 2,50,000 villages. The aim of the project is to accelerate the delivery of government services in the villages. The proposal to establish the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) to provide broadband …
