Author: LokMarg

A report has stated that while farm loan waivers reduce the quality of expenditure by implementing states, it also negatively affects institutional incentives to disburse agricultural credit.

The research report on farm loan waivers in India, released by Chairman NABARD on Friday, also noted that there does not appear to have a statistically significant inflationary impact.
Using secondary and primary data, the study addressed key questions like how states funded the farm loan waivers and if diversion of funds towards the waivers crowded out capital expenditures (CapEx) in the states while farmers’ behaviour and attitudes towards these waivers were studied through a primary survey of about 3,000 farmers from three states — Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

The report argued that the strategy to support distressed farmers in a sustainable manner that empowers them in short and long run requires a rethink. This report makes a case for a deeper analysis and the need to address the structural factors that consistently cause distress to farmers.

“Loan waivers are considered a one-time solution to farmer distress. Farmers in India are plagued by several distortions that make the farming business unviable. The production cycle makes it impossible for farmers not to be indebted and the income instability makes it difficult for them to come out of the cycle of debt. Thus, the loan waivers offer temporary solace without addressing the underlying issues and, hence, within a few years farmers need another waiver,” the report stated.

The report claimed that its valuable source of data-backed evidence on farm loan waiver programmes can be beneficial for different stakeholders, ranging from policymakers in the states and the Centre, to academia and researchers. Ideally, the policymakers and governments may like to refer to the study before designing and implementing distress alleviating policy relief measures for farmers, it added.

Funded by NABARD, the study was conducted by Dr Sweta Saini, Siraj Hussain and Dr Pulkit Khatri under the aegis of Bharat Krishak Samaj (BKS). (ANI)

India reported 2,527 new COVID-19 infections and 33 fatalities in the last 24 hours informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday.

India on Friday had reported 2,451 fresh COVID-19 cases and 54 fatalities.
With this, the active caseload in the country stands at 15,079 which is 0.04 per cent of the total cases.

A total of 1,656 COVID patients recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours taking the total number of recoveries since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,25,17,724. The recovery rate is 98.75 per cent.

According to the Ministry, 33 patients succumbed to the virus. The death toll in the country is now at 5,22,149.

The daily positivity rate is at 0.56 per cent. The weekly positivity rate stands at 0.50 per cent.

As many as 4,55,179 COVID samples were tested in the last 24 hours. A total of 83.42 crore tests have been conducted in the country so far.

As far as vaccination is concerned, 19,13,296 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered during this period. With this, the total number of vaccine jabs administered under the nationwide vaccination drive so far went up to 1,87,46,72,536. (ANI)

The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Bhagwant Mann led Punjab government has withdrawn the security provided to 184 former ministers, MLAs and private protectees in Punjab.

In a letter, dated April 20, the Additional Director General of Police Security said, “Consequent to a security review based on current threat assessment, the competent authority has approved the withdrawal of security from… Former Ministers, Former MLAs and private protectees.”
Among the 184 VIPs to lose their security are the Families of– former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Gurdarshan Brar, IPS Gurdarshan Singh, and Udaybir Singh (son of former cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa).

Alongside, the security of former Cabinet Ministers– Surjit Singh Rakhra and Bibi Jagir Kaur, Tota Singh (Shiromani Akali Dal Moga), Former Congress MP– Varinder Singh Bajwa, Santosh Chaudhary, and Ex- Congress MLA Deep Malhotra has also been withdrawn.

Rajesh Bagga (State Vice President from Bharatiya Janata Party), Mahi Gill (BJP star campaigner), and Harinder Singh Kohli (District president BJP) have also lost the deployed security personnel.

According to the order personnel deployed on specific orders of the Supreme Court or High Court will not be withdrawn.

Earlier on March 12, the security cover of 122 Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) was stripped. (ANI)

Hollywood star Nicolas Cage has revealed the gender and name of the baby he is expecting with his wife, Riko Shibata.

According to Page Six, while appearing on the latest episode of ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’, Cage revealed, “I am gonna have a little girl.”
He shared that his daughter’s name will be Lennon Augie in tribute to John Lennon and the actor’s father, August Coppola.

“I’ll call her Lenny for short. I’m thrilled. It’s going to be the biggest adventure of my life,” he continued.

Cage explained that ‘Across the Universe’ by The Beatles is his “favourite song ever written,” so Lennon seemed like the right fit. He did not announce Shibata’s due date.

As per Page Six, back in January, Cage and Shibata had confirmed that they were expecting a baby. The couple tied the knot in Las Vegas at the Wynn Hotel in February 2021. (ANI)

A Nepal-based racketeer this week was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment after almost eight years of his involvement in a case linked to the recovery of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Abi Mohammed Ansar, a resident of Hariharpur in the Simraungarh area of Nepal’s Bara district, was awarded five years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,000 by an NIA Special Court on Wednesday here in a case pertaining to the seizure of high-quality FICN seized from Indira Gandhi International Airport on April 18, 2014.

The NIA said that Ansar was caught with high-quality FICN of Rs 1,000 denomination having a face value of Rs 49,88,000 by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) from IGI Airport on April 18, 2014, which was re-registered by the NIA on June 25, 2014.

The NIA filed a charge sheet in the case against two accused persons on January 2, 2015, and subsequently, a supplementary chargesheet was filed against three accused persons on November 23, 2017.

Earlier, on April 4 this year, the NIA Special Court, New Delhi had convicted one accused in the case. (ANI)

University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) advised Indian students not to travel to Pakistan for pursuing higher education while stating that such degrees wouldn’t be recognised in India.

Secretary of UGC and Member Secretary, AICTE in joint advisory said that any Indian national/overseas citizen of India who intends to take admission in any degree college or educational institution of Pakistan shall not be eligible for seeking employment or higher studies in India on the basis of such educational qualifications (in any subject) acquired in Pakistan.
The UGC and AICTE further informed students, “However, migrants and their children who have acquired higher education degrees in Pakistan and were awarded citizenship by India would be eligible for seeking employment in India after obtaining Security Clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs.”

All India Council for Technical Education Chairperson Prof. Anil D Sahasrabudhe told ANI that there are many such institutes that are not good and the experience that has come with China and Ukraine after studying abroad, children get stuck after half of their education, that’s why it is necessary to warn the students and parents.

The AICTE further told ANI that after completing half of their education while coming to India, when the students would not get the benefit of that degree, the parent’s money goes waste. “So, the purpose is to caution the students,” he said. (ANI)

Security arrangements have been strengthened ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir’s Palli on Sunday.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to address panchayats across the country on ‘Panchayati Raj Diwas’ tomorrow.
Every year, April 24 is celebrated as the National Panchayati Raj Day.

The Prime minister will address a gathering including more than 30,000 Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members of Jammu and Kashmir while PRIs from across the country will be connected virtually for the Prime Minister’s address.

Palli panchayat is in the Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The date – April 24, 1993 – marks a defining moment in the history of decentralization of power to the grassroots, with the institutionalization of Panchayati Raj, through the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 which came into force with effect from that day.

Panchayat Palli in Jammu has been selected for the Panchayati Raj Diwas function this year and an exhibition showcasing the latest innovations will be put up enabling farmers, sarpanchs and village heads to improve their income and their produce.

Amongst important innovations that are planned to be showcased, are geospatial technology for rural development and farmers, apps usable by farmers for weather forecast for five days, lavender cultivation famously known as purple revolution, biotechnology innovation to increase the production of apple on the same land to increase farmers’ income, drone application for pesticide spray and waste treatment, the shelf life of fruits to be increased through atomic radiation, etc. (ANI)

The Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust in Mathura has stopped using loudspeakers to broadcast prayers of Lord Shri Krishna while complying with the direction of the Uttar Pradesh government.

The temple trust took the decision to stop using the loudspeakers on Wednesday. The decision came in response to the state government’s guidelines issued on Tuesday on the use of loudspeakers. The secretary of the temple trust Kapil Sharma said that the loudspeakers have been turned off since Wednesday.
The loudspeakers were installed on the top of the Bhagwat Bhawan.

Speaking to ANI on Friday, Sharma said, “We have stopped the use of loudspeakers as per the orders of the state government. This decision has been taken to maintain communal harmony here. Soon arrangements will be made to ensure that the sound from the loudspeaker remains within the temple premises only.”

However, a few devotees at the venue expressed their reservations against the decision. A devotee told ANI, “As per the Hindu traditions, it is believed that if you listen to these prayers on loudspeakers, you get God’s blessings while also finding a divine connection.”

“I do not feel happy following the decision to switch off the loudspeakers,” said another devotee.

On April 21, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that permission would be required to use loudspeakers at religious places. He also said that the sound of the loudspeakers must not be heard outside the premises. (ANI)

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu Zone Mukesh Singh on Friday said that the two Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists eliminated by the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Sunjwan were planning to inflict heavy damage.

Singh also added that the “intervention of intelligence agencies and security forces” helped avert major damage.
Speaking to ANI, the ADGP said, “With the kind of vest (IED vest) they were wearing it is clear that they had come here to inflict heavy damage and their designs were quite nefarious but with the timely intervention of intelligence agencies and the security forces, this major disaster has been averted.”

Briefing ANI about the incident, he said that an area in Sunjwan was cordoned based on inputs received by intelligence agencies in the wee hours of Friday.

“We maintained the cordon throughout the night. At around 4 am, terrorists tried to sneak out and attacked police personnel in which five personnel got injured,” Singh said.

Further, he added that the security forces had managed to keep the terrorists in the cordoned area, after which a search operation was launched and both the terrorists were killed.

“We have recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition and an IED vest. We’ve now cleared the site and operation is now formally over,” ADGP said.

Two terrorists were neutralised by security forces during an encounter that took place in the wee hours on Friday in Jammu’s Sunjwan area.

Two AK-47 rifles, arms and ammunition, satellite phones and some documents were recovered from them.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh on Friday said that the killed terrorists could be a part of a “big conspiracy” to sabotage Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the union territory.

According to the police, the terrorists killed were planning a suicide attack in any area with heavily deployed security.

PM Modi’s visit to Jammu’s Samba is scheduled on Sunday (April 24), on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Diwas, to address the panchayats of the country from Palli, Jammu and Kashmir.

He also stated, “The sudden launch of terrorists in the area and their immediate action for the task assigned makes it appear like a fresh infiltration, as no terrorism background was found.” (ANI)

The ongoing war in Ukraine has led to a humanitarian disaster with over 5 million people fleeing the country apart from civilian deaths and military casualties for both Ukraine and Russia. Devastating pictures of destruction and death have come out of Ukraine due to the war.

Russia has claimed victory in the battle for the southern Ukrainian port of Mariupol but not much is known about Russian causalities in the war that began in the last week of February. There have been reports of Russia imposing an extra level of secrecy about its war losses.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine on Friday gave figures about the scale of losses suffered by Russia in the course of what Moscow calls “military action” in Ukraine.

According to MFA-Ukraine, the Russian military might have lost as many as 21,200 soldiers.

In terms of military equipment, the Russian losses seem heavy too. MFA-Ukraine said Russia has lost 2,162 armoured personnel vehicles, 176 aircraft, 153 helicopters, 838 tanks, and 1,523 other vehicles.

The Russian losses include UAVs, Short-Range Ballistic missiles (SRBM) systems, and several boats and the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, Moskva. (ANI)