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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Food security: Uttar Pradesh to scrap district-wise quota, cover more eligible families
Aiming to bring parity across districts and cover more eligible families, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to abolish the existing district-wise quota of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). While the Centre has fixed a state-wise quota—with separate rural and urban coverage limits—Uttar Pradesh has been following a district-wise cap on the number of beneficiaries. This district-specific allocation often resulted in imbalances. For example, prosperous districts like Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Meerut in western U.P. received a disproportionately higher share, depriving other districts of their fair entitlement. 'We are going to eliminate the district-wise quota of beneficiaries under NFSA and the work in this regard has already begun to ensure eligible beneficiaries in comparatively poorer districts are not deprived of the benefits due to them,' principal secretary, food and civil supplies, Ranvir Prasad said, speaking to HT. The Central government has fixed the population coverage under NFSA at 64.46% in rural areas and 78.54% in cities and allocates the food grain to the state, accordingly -- 7.6 lakh MT of wheat or rice every month to cater to the need of over 3.60 crore families with over 14 crore members. Additional commissioner, food and civil supplies, Satyadev said that the work to increase the share of some needy districts has begun. 'For example, we have recently added 5,000 new beneficiaries each in Sitapur, Barabanki and Lalitpur by deleting the number from Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar,' he said. He said NFSA coverage in all the seven districts in Bundelkhand was being raised to 90% and 85% in all the deserving districts in eastern UP. 'However, the overall limit for the state will remain the same as fixed under the NFSA that is 64.465% for cities and 78.54% for villages. This limit cannot be raised at all,' he said, Officials said doing away with the district-wise cap will enable the state to redistribute entitlements more equitably, strictly adhering to eligibility norms and actual population figures. The restructuring is expected to benefit backward and underserved districts, where many eligible families were left out due to the artificial ceilings imposed by the district quota system. Meanwhile, the department of the food and civil supplies has been placed fourth in disposing of complaints received on the chief minister's IGRS (Integrated Grievance Redressal System portal) as per the report for the month of April. 'Ours has been found to be the fourth best department, after the khadi and village industries, the cooperative and excise in terms of disposal of public grievances on the IGRS portal in April,' Satyadev claimed. The department of industries and infrastructure development, the housing and urban planning, the environment and climate change and women welfare are said to be among the bottom four departments.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Pueblo citizens urge Hurd to vote ‘no' on Medicaid cuts
(PUEBLO, Colo.) — Some community members in Pueblo came together on Sunday, May 18, to urge Representative Jeff Hurd to vote 'No' on any bill cutting funds to Medicaid. On Saturday, Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee pushed forward a plan aimed at saving $880 billion by cutting Medicaid funding. The proposal would end funding methods that many states rely on and penalize states covering people who entered the U.S. illegally. Some in Pueblo say Jeff Hurd has been quiet on matters about the policy, and are asking him to speak up. 'Jeff Hurd needs to understand that he is working for us and not Donald Trump,' said Center for Health Progress Kebin Abernathy. 'He was elected by Colorado Congressional District 3, maybe not by all of us, but he does represent all of us, and he needs to listen to all of us.' The plan could leave more than 10 million people without Medicaid and 7.6 million more by 2034. 'Working at the Department of Human Services for almost 20 years, Medicaid isn't just a program, it's faces, it's people,' said Josette Jaramillo. 'It's the people that rely on Medicaid for their treatment, for their medications, for their behavioral health programs.' Those who rallied together on Sunday are asking Hurd to speak up and vote no on the proposed Medicaid cuts that would allegedly put 228,000 working people in Colorado's Third Congressional District at risk, along with several healthcare and public service workers' jobs. FOX21 News reached out to Jeff Hurd's Office for comment and is still awaiting a response. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
The ‘core' of inflation, and RBI's rate cutting decisions
Between February 8, 2023 and February 6, 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept its key short-term 'repo' lending rate for banks unchanged at 6.5%. This roughly two-year period (February 2023 to January 2025) saw inflation based on the official consumer price index (CPI) average 5.2% year-on-year. It was even higher, at 7.6%, for the consumer food price index (CFPI). At the same time, the so-called core inflation rate – which excludes food and fuel items from the CPI to compute the annual price increase – was only 4.1%. The relatively low 'core' inflation was cited by many, then, as reason enough for the RBI's monetary policy committee to cut interest rates. Food and fuel inflation are largely driven by supply-side factors – such as rainfall, temperature and other weather-related phenomena affecting crop output or geopolitical developments and production policies of major petroleum exporting nations. Given the inherently volatile nature of food and fuel inflation – which monetary policy cannot effectively address, as interest rates primarily work by influencing borrowing costs and aggregate demand in the economy – the RBI, it was argued, should focus on 'core' than the headline 'general' CPI inflation. While RBI has since reduced its repo rate, by 0.25 percentage points each on February 7 and April 9 to 6%, the pressure to do so came earlier. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had, on November 14, stated that it was an 'absolutely flawed theory' to consider food inflation while deciding on interest rates. The Finance Ministry's Economic Survey for 2023-24, too, had pointed to the 'anticipated easing' of rates by RBI being 'delayed' despite core inflation falling to 3.1% by June 2024. Reversal of trend The accompanying chart shows CFPI inflation ruling consistently higher than general CPI inflation, and the latter exceeding core inflation, for an extended period from July 2023 to January 2025. But the last two months have witnessed quite the opposite. CFPI inflation, at 1.8% in April 2025, was at its lowest since October 2021. It was below the headline inflation of 3.2%, which was itself the lowest since July 2019. On the other hand, core inflation, at 4.2%, was at its highest since September 2023. Simply put, if the RBI were to target core and not headline inflation today, it would be less inclined to further cut interest rates. Core inflation is currently hovering above the central bank's medium-term target of 4%! India experienced two major episodes of food inflation in the last three years. Both were courtesy of supply-side shocks. The first was Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late-February 2022 that pushed up international agri-commodity prices. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) world food price index (base value: 2014-16=100) soared to an all-time-high of 160.2 points in March 2022. Even as the global supply disruptions from 'war', causing imported food inflation, eased towards early 2023, there came a second shock. This one had to do with 'weather', more specifically an El Niño event from around April 2023 to May 2024. El Niño – an abnormal warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean waters off the coasts of Ecuador and Peru, leading to enhanced evaporation and cloud-formation in that region at the expense of Australia, Southeast Asia and India – is generally associated with weak rainfall in the subcontinent. The long and strong El Niño of 2023-24 did translate into subpar monsoon, post-monsoon and winter rains. It was accompanied by a delayed and short winter, culminating in heat waves from the second half of March to June 2024. The effects, in terms of lower crop production and elevated food prices, were felt from July 2023 through the whole of 2024. What to expect The end of El Niño, resulting in an above-average monsoon last year, followed by a mild La Niña (El Niño's opposite 'cold' phase that normally contributes to good showers and lower temperatures in India), enabled an agricultural turnaround in 2024-25. The benefits of that accrued with the kharif (monsoon-sown) crop's market arrivals from late-2024. With a bountiful rabi (winter-spring) crop as well, food inflation pressures have ebbed since the start of this calendar year. The India Meteorological Department's forecast of above-normal rainfall for the ensuing southwest monsoon season (June-September), no El Niño expected in 2025, and the FAO food price index of 128.3 points for April well below its March 2022 peak (the US Department of Agriculture projects record production of wheat, rice, corn and oilseeds for 2025-26), the outlook for CFPI inflation looks benign going forward. Equally encouraging is oil prices: Brent crude is trading at just over $65 per dollar, as against $75 three months ago and $83 last year at this time. And it isn't only food and fuel. Three months back, the rupee was in free fall, touching an all-time-low of 87.99 to the dollar on February 10. This, even as India's official foreign exchange reserves plunged from $704.89 billion to $623.98 billion between September 27 and January 17. The uncertainties unleashed by Donald Trump taking over as US President triggered a net pullout of some $22.7 billion by foreign portfolio investors (FPI) from India's equity and debt markets during October 2024-February 2025. Trump's sweeping 'reciprocal tariff' actions led to further outflows of $2.34 billion in April. Those uncertainties have subsided somewhat in recent weeks. The rupee closed at around 85.5 to the dollar on Friday, forex reserves had recovered to $690.62 billion as of May 9, and FPI have made net purchases of $1.3 billion so far this month. While food prices seem well under control, there are two reasons to believe why so is core inflation. The first is the rupee stabilising and not breaching the 90-to-the-dollar mark, where it appeared headed not too long ago. The threat of imported inflation from a depreciating rupee has been contained for now. The second factor is the prospect of cheap imports from countries such as China and Vietnam, which are having to redirect their exports away from the US due to Trump's tariffs. In the last two months alone, India has imposed anti-dumping import duties on many Chinese goods – from aluminium foils, vacuum insulated flasks and polyvinyl chloride paste resin, to solar glass and titanium dioxide – in addition to a 12% safeguard duty on specified flat steel products. A stable rupee, disinflationary pressures from Chinese imports, soft global oil and commodity prices, and the improved domestic food supply position should make it easy for the RBI to further cut rates in its upcoming monetary policy reviews. Neither food nor core inflation must worry it too much.
Business Upturn
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Donald Trump claims India has offered to drop all tariffs on US goods: 'They want a deal'
During his address in Qatar on Thursday, former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that India has offered the United States a trade deal with 'no tariffs', although he did not disclose further details about the proposal or its context. 'Hundreds of companies are pouring into America and building factories — without needing financing,' Trump added, highlighting the strength of U.S. domestic manufacturing under his influence. While speaking on foreign relations, Trump emphasized the United States' growing strategic ties with the Middle East. He said the U.S. now shares a 'very strong' relationship with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, describing it as one that 'no one will be able to break.' 'We will protect you,' Trump told regional leaders, adding that 'you have a great ally in the Trump administration.' While officials in New Delhi have not yet confirmed any such proposal, the claim comes at a time when India is actively seeking to position itself as a global manufacturing hub and deepen economic ties with the U.S. Interestingly, Trump's comments come against the backdrop of past trade tensions between the two nations. As recently as 2024, India had notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it was considering retaliatory tariffs on select U.S. goods, in response to the Trump administration's renewed levies on steel and aluminium imports. A document dated May 12 and submitted to the WTO stated: 'The proposed suspension of concessions or other obligations takes the form of an increase in tariffs on selected products originating in the United States.' While the products targeted were not specified, the document emphasized that the U.S. tariffs—25% on steel and aluminium—could impact $7.6 billion worth of Indian exports to the U.S. India, being the second-largest producer of crude steel, has a vested interest in protecting its metal exports. Aditya Bhagchandani serves as the Senior Editor and Writer at Business Upturn, where he leads coverage across the Business, Finance, Corporate, and Stock Market segments. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to journalistic integrity, he not only contributes insightful articles but also oversees editorial direction for the reporting team.
Zawya
05-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Jordan: Net profits of ASE-listed companies stand at $795mln in Q1 2025
AMMAN — CEO of the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) Mazen Wathaifi on Sunday said that the after-tax profits attributable to shareholders of public shareholding companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE), which provided their financial data, rose to JD564.4 million in the first quarter of 2025. Wathaifi said that the figure marked an increase of 7.6 per cent, compared with JD524.6 million during the same period in 2024, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. He added that the pre-tax profits for these companies also increased, reaching JD804.3 million in the January-March period of 2025 compared with JD758.1 million in the corresponding period of 2024, marking a 6.1 per cent rise. At the sectorial level, the CEO said that the after-tax profits for the industrial sector grew by 10.1 per cent, while the financial sector saw an 8.9 per cent increase. The services sector recorded a 12.7 per cent decline in profits, he pointed out. Wathaifi noted that these positive results in the first three months of 2025, in light of the geopolitical and economic challenges facing the region and the world, highlight the 'resilience, strength and capacity' of the national economy to overcome such risks 'efficiently'. He attributed these results to the 'effectiveness' of the implemented economic policies, the advancement of projects under the Economic Modernisation Vision, ongoing structural and legislative reforms, improved business environment and investment climate. Wathaifi said that the national economy has achieved several positive indicators, including a 2.5 per cent growth rate in 2024, a 5.8 per cent surge in total exports exceeding expectations, and foreign currency reserves surpassing $22 billion. The CEO also said that 94 per cent of the 160 companies listed on the ASE have submitted their reviewed interim financial statements for the period ending March 31, within the deadline, through the electronic disclosure system XBRL. He stressed that this percentage reflects the 'strong' commitment of listed companies to the applicable laws and regulations, and the principles and standards of disclosure and transparency. Wathaifi added that according to ASE's listing requirements, all listed companies are obligated to submit their reviewed financial statements, audited by their external auditors, within the designated period. He stressed that the ASE has made these statements available on its official website [ under the circulars and disclosures section (Quarterly Data). © Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
