Government think tank Niti Aayog has said India meets its material demand mostly from domestic resources that “negatively” impact a sizeable population as a result of the destruction of forests and mineral extraction.

As many as 65 per cent of beneficiaries across the three union territories like Chandigarh, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Puducherry now prefer direct benefit transfer (DBT) over public distribution system (PDS), according to a new report.

The objective of eliminating poverty in all its dimensions such that every citizen has access to a minimum standard of food, education, health, clothing, shelter, transportation and energy has been at the heart of India’s development efforts since Independence.

Irrigated farmland in the country must increase by 19 per cent and availability of quality seeds by 167 per cent if the Centre wants to double farmers’ real income by 2022-23, according to a plan devised by NITI Aayog. The base year for this calculation is 2015-16.

The NITI Aayog has laid out a detailed roadmap for the irrigation scheme’s implementation in mission mode, with emphasis on prioritising ongoing projects. The move will fast-track Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project, the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). Project prioritisation forms the core of the road map.

The Public distribution system (PDS) is an Indian food Security System for the poor people established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution.

In a major step towards revamping regulations in medical education and services, the government has proposed the National Medical Commission Bill. The bill proposes setting up of several autonomous boards that will be bestowed with wide powers to maintain high ethical standards in medical education and professional services.

A taskforce set up by Niti Aayog on eliminating poverty released its report dealing in detail on how key government initiatives can contribute to uplift of poor, but stopped short of determining the poverty line as practised traditionally.

A vast majority of farmers in the country are aware of the minimum support price (MSP) for various agricultural crops, such as rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals and oilseeds, announced by the government annually, a study by Niti Aayog has stated.

One of India’s major advantages today and going forward is that its renewable energy (RE) potential is vast and largely untapped. Recent estimates show that India’s solar potential is greater than 750 GW and its announced wind potential is 302 GW (actual could be higher than 1000 GW).