Zia Haq reports on public policy, economy and agriculture. Particularly interested in development economics and growth theories.
Articles by Zia Haq
Centre to create centralised jobs database
Employment data is produced by entities like the RBI and the Ministry of Statistics, which conduct quarterly and annual Periodic Labour Force Surveys.
Updated on Jul 27, 2024 03:19 AM IST
UPA rejected Swaminathan suggestion on MSP, says Shivraj Chouhan, triggers row
The previous Modi-led government had set up the MSP committee following a year-long agitation by farmers in 2020-21, demanding a law to make MSPs binding
Updated on Jul 26, 2024 08:05 PM IST
Budget 2024-25: Allocations for schemes meant to control food prices ramped up
One of the schemes is aimed at curbing the volatility of tomatoes, onions, and potatoes, which have been pricey both this year and in 2023
Published on Jul 25, 2024 03:17 PM IST
Chidambaram slams govt on economy, puts forth five key demands
said although the government had painted a rosy picture of the economy, people did not “feel high growth” due to high unemployment and inflation.
Updated on Jul 24, 2024 06:25 PM IST
Agri research ramp-up to tackle climate impact: FM
Union government prioritizes agriculture in the budget, focusing on farm research to boost productivity and climate resilience, allocating ₹1.52 lakh crore.
Updated on Jul 24, 2024 07:46 AM IST
3 EPFO-based schemes among five to help boost jobs for youth
NDA govt's Budget 2024-25 announces ₹2 lakh crore job-creation plans, incentives for firms, skilling programs, and reforms to boost employment.
Updated on Jul 24, 2024 07:38 AM IST
Zia Haq, New Delhi
Budget unveils sops, skilling, reforms to spur jobs
The unemployment rate in the world’s fastest-growing economy declined to 3.2% in 2022-23, according to the latest official data
Updated on Jul 23, 2024 08:13 PM IST
Farm research ramp-up to tackle climate impact: Nirmala Sitharaman
Sitharaman said there would be a “comprehensive review of the agriculture research setup” to raise productivity and develop “climate resilient varieties”
Updated on Jul 23, 2024 08:14 PM IST
High-value produce key to bolstering farm incomes: Economic Survey
The survey said that protectionism, among other reasons, is limiting room to ‘squeeze out’ growth from manufacturing and services
Updated on Jul 23, 2024 05:48 AM IST
Economic Survey underscores dangers of AI for future workforces
The survey said India needs to create 7.85 million non-farm jobs every year till 2030. It said that PLI and MITRA schemes could add 6 million and 2.5 million jobs
Updated on Jul 23, 2024 05:50 AM IST
Centre to fund Punjab crop diversification
The Centre may agree to fund ₹7,000 per acre as incentive to paddy growers of Punjab to branch out to other summer crops under a federal crop diversification programme following a meeting between Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his Punjab counterpart Gurmeet Singh Khuddian in the national capital earlier this week, officials aware of the development said.
Updated on Jul 20, 2024 08:48 AM IST
Zia Haq, New Delhi
Skewed subsidies make paddy most profitable
Massive subsidies for growers of paddy (rice), a water-guzzling cereal that has ecologically ruined Punjab and Haryana, along with state-guaranteed purchases,have made it the most profitable crop in the country, the reason why farmers don’t want to shift to scarce items such as pulses, a new study has said.
Updated on Jul 20, 2024 08:14 AM IST
Zia Haq, New Delhi
‘Changing monsoon altering crop cycles’
Poor rains and blistering temperatures during the month, patterns said to be linked to climate crisis, have slowed the pace of kharif sowing, especially of rice
Updated on Jul 20, 2024 05:02 AM IST
Centre to boost carbon credits for biogas sector
In June 2023, the government had launched a unified registration portal for ‘GOBARdhan’, which acts as a one-stop repository to assess investment and streamlining of the process of setting up biogas plants in India
Updated on Jul 19, 2024 07:41 PM IST
Tomato prices surge amid thin supplies, heavy monsoon rains
Tomato prices have touched ₹100 a kg in some urban centres, such as Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati.
Updated on Jul 18, 2024 06:33 AM IST
Zia Haq, New Delhi
Govt questions disparity in priceof types of pulses
Data showed that India’s wholesale inflation rose to a 16-month high in June at 3.36% from a year ago, compared to a 2.61% rise in the previous month
Updated on Jul 17, 2024 06:24 AM IST
Kharif sowing expands amid skewed rainfall
Farmers grow a range of summer crops, such as paddy, pulsers, coarse cereals, oilseeds and sugarcane, during the season, which account for slightly more than half of the country’s food supply.
Published on Jul 16, 2024 11:40 AM IST
Retail prices in June soar to 5.08% after cooling to its lowest in a year
Rabi or winter-sown onion output declined by 20% to 19 million tonne this year. Rabi onion usually accounts for nearly 72% of India’s annual supply
Published on Jul 12, 2024 06:34 PM IST
Monsoon makes up for shortfall, but brings deluge of problems
Similar to trends in the past few years, extreme rainfall in July is wreaking havoc over certain parts of the country, but some others, particularly the rice-growing region in eastern India, continue to record deficient rain.
Updated on Jul 10, 2024 06:08 AM IST
Jayashree NandiZia Haq
Centre tweaks FCI funding, helping it to go debt free
FCI has long been resorting to external borrowings to maintain food reserves, fund its purchases of grains from farmers and redistribute them to 800 million beneficiaries free of cost
Updated on Jul 09, 2024 05:56 AM IST
Uptick in monsoon rain boosts kharif sowing
South-west monsoon boost summer crop planting in India, critical for food supply & price control. Sowing up 14% from last year, with pulses area up 50%.
Updated on Jul 09, 2024 05:50 AM IST
Zia Haq, New Delhi
Tomato rates soar as Centre looks to south for new stock
Last month, a delayed monsoon and blistering temperatures, followed by heavy rains have disrupted supplies
Updated on Jul 07, 2024 04:30 AM IST
Onion, potato prices remain high after low output last year
Expanding summer sowing should have a “salutary effect” on market sentiment, which will bring down prices, one official said.
Updated on Jul 05, 2024 04:45 AM IST
Zia Haq, New Delhi
Sharp rise in onion, potato, tomato prices
A hot, dry summer since April strained supplies of many commonly consumed vegetables, shifting demand towards potato, onion, and tomato and pushing up prices
Published on Jul 04, 2024 03:50 PM IST
Centre to resume rice sale to states, pvt traders
Apart from selling to states, the government will also resume its open-market sales scheme for private traders and offer rice at a discounted rate.
Updated on Jul 04, 2024 01:08 AM IST
Govt to hold more talks with states on labour codes
Implementing Modi govt's four labour codes is a top priority, but could take months as states lack understanding of reforms. Consultations underway for alignment with federal rules.
Updated on Jun 29, 2024 07:54 AM IST
Hot and dry June pushes back planting across the country
Monsoon showers in July will be crucial to sowing of key summer crops India is counting on to cut inflation, as below-normal rains and hot weather in June pushed back planting in many regions and depleted large water bodies that act as sources of irrigation.
Updated on Jun 28, 2024 08:06 AM IST
Ending pulses import by 2027 a key target of agriculture minister
An El Nino weather pattern last year has stoked prices of pulses despite a 37% jump in overall domestic production since 2015-16.
Updated on Jun 27, 2024 09:04 AM IST
Centre puts caps on wheat stock held by traders, import option open
Food inflation has hovered around 8% from a year ago for eight months after extreme weather trimmed output of key crops, hurting households and keeping retail inflation above the central bank’s target of 4%
Updated on Jun 25, 2024 08:26 AM IST
Centre plans series of interventions to cool prices of food
Central govt plans to regulate markets to control high food prices by increasing procurement of essential commodities like tur, urad, & masur pulses.
Updated on Jun 24, 2024 12:42 AM IST
Zia Haq, New Delhi