Farming has regained policy attention
Mint Editorial Board India's government has a new scheme to help farms in areas where farming lags. It's a statist approach, but market oriented proposals have made little headway with farmers—and there's no doubt they need help. With the US looking for access to India's market for agricultural produce, farming can't afford prolonged neglect. Gift this article
India's cabinet on Wednesday approved the launch of the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana to boost farming. The six-year scheme starting from 2025-26 will focus on 100 districts selected from across the country where agricultural productivity, cropping and credit disbursement have been found lagging.
India's cabinet on Wednesday approved the launch of the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana to boost farming. The six-year scheme starting from 2025-26 will focus on 100 districts selected from across the country where agricultural productivity, cropping and credit disbursement have been found lagging.
The scheme aims to boost yields through better inputs, diversify crops in favour of higher-value harvests, improve irrigation as well as post-harvest logistics and expand access to credit. This will be done by merging 36 central schemes and enlisting state-level support.
It's a good sign that the farm sector has the Centre's policy attention again. After the government's trio of farm bills was withdrawn some years ago in the face of farmer resistance, it was unclear how it planned to solve the sector's problems.
With the US looking for access to India's market for agricultural produce, farming can't afford prolonged neglect. The new scheme is statist, as all schemes for this sector are, but a low appetite among farmers for market orientation seems to hold back bolder reform efforts. Regardless, one way or another, farming needs to be revitalized. The sector needs help. Topics You May Be Interested In Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
30 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Govt nod needed for foreign contractors in offshore atomic minerals mining
The new Offshore Areas Atomic Minerals Operating Right Rules, 2025, notified on Thursday to regulate the exploration and mining of atomic minerals like uranium and thorium in offshore areas, has restricted the sector to government entities and companies nominated by the Centre and mandated prior approvals for foreign contractors. The new rules notified under the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, are aimed at unlocking India's offshore atomic mineral potential and also lay down security and environmental safeguards. These norms will apply only when atomic minerals like uranium or thorium are found in an offshore area, either alone or mixed with other minerals, but only if their concentration is above a certain minimum level, called the threshold value. If the amount of atomic mineral present is below the threshold, then the area will be regulated under a different set of rules, namely the Offshore Areas Operating Right Rules, 2024. The threshold value is based on the percentage of atomic minerals in the ore. While central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) or nominated agencies can be granted exploration licences or production leases for atomic minerals found in India's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Private companies can participate only if expressly nominated by the Centre. 'In case foreign domiciled entities or foreign entities or contractors, personnel, vessels or equipment are engaged or deployed, for undertaking exploration operations, prior approval shall be obtained from the Government authorities,' the rules mandate. Moreover, licensees would be required to restore affected marine and coastal areas soon after project completion. The licensee shall, within six months after the expiry or termination of the composite licence, take all necessary steps enabling the natural rehabilitation of the seabed affected by exploration operations, the rules specify.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Centre tells Karnataka HC 'chilling effect' not an all-in-all solution
The central government on Friday told the Karnataka High Court that claiming a 'chilling effect' on free speech cannot be an all-in-all solution against reasonable restrictions. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued before the court that reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2) of the Constitution on Freedom of Speech and Expression are an 'elastic' concept that must evolve with the ever-expanding scope of Article 19(1)(a) in today's technologically advanced era. The Karnataka High Court is hearing X (formerly Twitter) Corp's plea against the Centre, challenging the unlawful content regulation and arbitrary censorship through the Ministry of Home Affairs' Sahyog Portal. The Centre is now making its submissions before Justice M Nagaprassana after X argued its case. X Corp has argued that Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act does not confer the government with the authority to issue information blocking orders, and that such orders can only be issued after following the procedure under Section 69A of the Act, read with IT Rules. The social media platform has also argued that content take-down orders under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology (IT) Act have a chilling effect on its users. While Section 69A empowers the government to block access to information, subject to specific procedures and safeguards, Section 79 serves as an exemption provision, providing a 'safe harbour' for intermediaries. Responding to this, SG Mehta said that the chilling effect is not a defence for disseminating content that is 'not in the interest of society' and that X cannot claim a chilling effect on behalf of its users. He quoted a 2020 case of the Supreme Court where a 3-judge bench had observed that the widening of the 'chilling effect doctrine' has always been viewed with judicial scepticism. Talking about the misuse of technology, Mehta submitted that if, hypothetically, an AI video of the judge saying something against the nation were created, it would not fall within the vires of Section 69A but would unquestionably be unlawful, and this is where Section 79 comes in. "Section 69A is not only about taking down, but also a penal provision. Courts have developed that my fundamental rights of doing something may come into conflict with other persons' fundamental rights, so there is always a competition of fundamental rights—Article 14, 19, 21. Therefore, jurisprudence is developed for balancing competing fundamental rights to achieve constitutional goals." Mehta also argued that to curb the menace, such as fake accounts and posts, 'safe harbour' protection to intermediaries cannot be absolute. Take-down directives issued under Section 79(3)(b) are an exception to the exception of safe harbour, he said. "Similar safe harbour provisions and exceptions to exceptions exist in all jurisdictions of the world. This is the only social media intermediary (X Corp) that has a problem and is before the court. X Corp in some other jurisdictions has been fined, censured, etc. I have shown that certain intermediaries are not complying, and every country is grappling. Any deviation from the exception to safe harbour, taking care, due diligence, etc., is viewed seriously now by all you are informed and you do not follow guidelines, then 'safe harbour' will be lost," Mehta said.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Delhi HC reserves order on Turkish firm Celebi's plea against revocation of security clearance, ETInfra
Advt The Delhi high court on Friday reserved its order on a plea filed by another Turkish-based Celebi company, namely Celebi Ground Handling India Private Limited, against Centre's decision to revoke its security clearance A different bench of the high court on July 7 dismissed the pleas by Turkish-based firms -- Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd and Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Pvt Ltd -- challenging the revocation of their security clearance by aviation watchdog Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety (BCAS) on May 15, saying there are "compelling national security considerations" Tejas Karia on Friday reserved the order after company's lawyer submitted that the petition was filed on July 4 after a coordinate bench reserved its judgement in a similar case involving the associated counsel said on Friday that the July 7 verdict directly applied to the present case as well, and urged the judge to pass a similar revoked the security clearance, days after Turkey backed Pakistan and condemned India's strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring court on July 7 underlined the necessity to eliminate the possibility of espionage or dual use of logistics capabilities which would be highly detrimental to the security of the country, especially in the event of an external conflict.
