Last September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a significant health insurance policy for all senior citizens aged 70 and above, expanding the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PM-JAY). This initiative will provide free health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per famil...
The Status of Agriculture and Allied Sectors in BengalWest Bengal is a leading state in agriculture, horticulture, and fruit processing. The state is renowned for its exotic varieties of flowers, orchids, and cacti. It holds the title of the highest producer of vegetables in the country and is a lea...
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently introduced the Unified Lending Interface (ULI), a digital platform aimed at addressing the credit needs of various sectors, with a particular focus on agriculture and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Historically, these sectors have str...
To address persistent high food inflation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman could allocate more to agriculture. Last fiscal year, India grew by 8.2%, but surprisingly, agricultural growth declined from 4.7% in FY 23 to 1.4% in FY 24. During the COVID-19 period, agricultural growth had been quite ...
The Economic Survey is an annual report issued by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. First published in the 1950-51 fiscal year as part of the Union Budget, it was separated from the Budget in 1964 and now precedes it by one day. The Survey reviews the performance of the Indian economy ov...
The Sixth Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is scheduled to be held in Thailand in September 2024. Prior to this, the Foreign Ministers’ Retreat took place from July 11-12, 2024, in New Delhi. This retreat serves as a platform fo...
The surge in prices of essential commodities disproportionately affects the poor on a larger scale. Ahead of the general election, a pre-poll survey by Lokniti and SCDS highlighted that unemployment and inflation are pivotal concerns for voters, particularly among marginalized groups such as backwar...
India’s economy has been growing rapidly, exceeding 8% in the last fiscal year, accompanied by a swiftly rising stock market. India is poised to become the world’s third-largest economy within the next two to three years. However, amidst these economic achievements, the government is distributin...
India faces significant challenges in achieving self-sufficiency in edible oils and pulses. Recently, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the new Union Minister of Agriculture, emphasized the need for India to meet its own requirements in these essential agricultural commodities. Chouhan, renowned for his leader...
On May 13, India and Iran signed a 10-year contract to operate the Chabahar port in Iran. The agreement between India Ports Global Ltd (IPGL) and Iran’s Port and Maritime Organization (PMO) pertains to the operation of the Shahid Beheshti terminal, one of the two projects at Chabahar port.A brief ...