Subsidies

Fiscal deficit target of 3.3% for 2018-19 could be a challenge, likely to be breached, say experts

Government's fiscal deficit touched 114.8% of the full-year estimates at the end of November

Global investors, insurers urge G20 to end fossil fuel subsidies; caution govt support to hit key industries

Investors warn continued government support for fossil fuel increases risk of creating stranded assets within the energy sector and can also decrease the competitiveness of key industries.

PM Narendra Modi to launch India Post Payments Bank on 21 August; to target one branch in every district

The India Post Payments Bank app which is expected to be launched on the same day will enable customers to pay for services of around 100 firms including phone recharges and bill, electricity bill, DTH service, college fees, etc., that are present on Bharat Bill payments system of NPCI

Rural finance: Subsidies, entitlements and the problem of digital linkages in Bundelkhand

Silicon Valley dreams seem very far away in rural Bundelkhand.

SC order extending Aadhaar deadline allays concerns of the elite but fails to protect the most vulnerable

It is imperative that public policy professionals and policymakers examine Aadhaar from an access-to-resources perspective, and not just from a data protection one.

Saubhagya scheme: Electricity to all households a positive move, but can Modi govt resist subsidy?

It would be interesting to see if any state decides not to subsidise this power supplied to the poor

Swaraj at 70 Part 10: Food sovereignty means democratic control over what we eat, says Jean Dreze

Jean Dreze's uses his extensive knowledge of the Indian ground realities to expound on the need for food security and its link to Swaraj.

Junk the chemical fertiliser subsidy policy; it's time now to incentivise farmers for using organic fertilisers

The time has come to junk the chemical fertiliser subsidy policy in a phased manner and wean the farmer away from it

Mandatory Aadhaar for welfare is fine but govt should address privacy, connectivity issues first

The Aadhaar project has its uses, certainly, but it is time for some stock-taking of its implementation, including concerns about its creep

Exclusive: Why I fear Union Budget 2017, Yogendra Yadav writes for Firstpost

Yogendra Yadav fears that if Arun Jaitley indeed announces Universal Basic Income in the Union Budget, it will just be a parody. From the signals, what the government is thinking about is neither universal nor basic income