This report summarizes the findings of a review aimed at understanding emerging approaches to energy subsidy reform, discerning trends, and identifying major strands of thinking and research in the field, as reflected in major policy and academic journals relevant to the subject. The review was initiated in early 2020 as …
Moves are afoot to ring in reforms in the fertiliser sector. A Group of Ministers (GoM) on fertilisers headed by the agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar, has given its in-principle nod to the Department of Fertilisers' proposal to have an independent regulator for the sector. J. Sreedhara Sarma, Secretary, Ministry of …
Although the draft text on fisheries subsidies released in November is on the whole a remarkable synthesis, certain points would benefit from further clarification, in particular to avoid unnecessary litigation in the future. Feb 2008
The Doha Round negotiations, formally named the Doha Development Agenda, continue to founder. While agriculture negotiations have dominated public discussion, the critical obstacle to conclusion of the round is the failure of negotiations so far to deliver on developing country needs. Feb 2008
the Bihar government on December 28, 2007 announced a Rs 43 crore subsidy for sugar mills in Bihar to help clear the Rs 90 crore arrear of the crushing season 2006-07 to cane growers. The rest of the dues, Rs 47 crore, will be cleared when the state receives interest-free …
A model for the wetland part of KNP is presented and analyzed. Two-dimensional parameter scans suggest that this minimal model possesses dynamical complexities. Per capita availability of water to
China's Ministry of Finance has drawn up policies to promote the production of non-food sources for biofuels. Under the plan, the ministry will offer subsidies of about 3,000 yuan (us $408) for each hectare of biofuel plantations. Industrial projects producing ethanol from cellulose, sweet sorghum and cassava will receive rewards …
the Maharashtra government recently discovered 2.6 million fake ration cards in the state, including 700,000 fake cards in Mumbai. The state government has assured "strict action' against errant officials and Sunil D Tatakare, minister for food and civil supplies, has announced a ban on sale of commodities from such cards. …
Doctors in 12 states went on strike in the first week of December protesting mandatory rural posting. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare came up with the proposal in July. A Ramadoss, the health minister, had said then that undergraduate medical students would need to take up rural …
While cutting down rainforests to grow palm oil for biofuels may constitute "madness" (1 December 2007, p 50), burning other vegetable oils is no more sane, nor less damaging to Indonesia's rainforests. Indonesia is expected to increase its palm oil production by more than half over the next 10 years. …
This report aims to evaluate CCS in the context of climate stabilization wedges and the challenges and opportunities linked to its wide scale deployment. This report first examines the technologies that comprise CCS, exploring the state of development of each component technology and how mature the technology is, as well …
Conditions are ripe for an upturn in India's dairy sector. The government has lifted its ban on the export of milk powder at a time when increasing demand is sending prices of dairy products skyrocketing globally. If the market worked on a straightforward play of demand and supply, Indian producers
Sugarcane growers in Uttar Pradesh feel sold out to mills Frustration is growing among sugarcane growers in Uttar Pradesh. First private sugar mills refused to begin crushing and now the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has directed mill-owners to pay farmers Rs 110 per 100 kg of the …
The Union Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs is contemplating a 12 per cent interest subsidy to sugar mills and 5 per cent to farmers. There has been a face-off between it and the finance ministry over the interest subsidy for farmers. The finance ministry says the move is anti-farmer …
To avoid burdening consumers, the Sri Lankan government has turned down a request by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) urging the government to suspend its fuel subsidy. IMF suggested that the government raise fuel prices to avoid a backlash on the economy. Sri Lanka's government-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation currently incurs …
FOR as long as most people can remember, food has been getting cheaper and farming has been in decline. In 1974-2005 food prices on world markets fell by three-quarters in real terms. Food today is so cheap that the West is battling gluttony even as it scrapes piles of half-eaten …
The un Special Rapporteur on the right to food recently has called for a five-year moratorium on biofuels, calling it a "crime against humanity' to convert food crops to fuel. Cereal prices have already soared in African countries putting pressure on them to import food, Jean Ziegler said. Designated a …
the Union government increased the minimum support price of wheat, paddy, sugarcane, mustard, rapeseed and other agricultural commodities on October 9. The announcement was made after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the prime minister, accepted the recommendations on the minimum support price (msp) by the Commission of …
reliance gas row: In an interim order, the Bombay High Court has ruled that Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) cannot be forced to sell gas from its eastern offshore KG-D6 fields to firms run by his brother Anil Ambani at "subsidized rates and incur loses.' Delivering its verdict on …
the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers is deliberating on a mechanism to promote neem-coated fertilizers. The move is an attempt to prevent soil fatigue caused by imbalanced and excessive use of urea, and increasing crop yields. With the government set to promote neem-coated fertilizer, its manufacturers recently approached the …
The World Trade Organization (wto) ruled on October 15 that the us has failed to bring subsidies and export credit guarantees to its cotton farmers in conformity with wto rulings. The ruling is a major victory for Brazil and four West African countries
