Nirmala Sitharaman is an Indian politician with the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), and has served as Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs since 2019 (this is as of March 2024). In the first Modi government, Sitharaman served as the Minister of Defence between 2017 and 2019, thereby becoming India’s second female defence minister and the second female finance minister after Indira Gandhi, and the first full-time female minister to hold each of those portfolios.
Sitharaman first joined the BJP in 2004 and was appointed party spokesperson six years later. She was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2014. While presenting her first budget, she made a statement by replacing the traditional budget briefcase with a ‘bahi-khata’ with the National Emblem to carry the speech and other documents.
Agriculture was the main stay of economy in ancient and medieval India. It provided land revenue which was the main source of Revenue for monarchs and emperors. There was no income tax, and commodity taxes were hardly of importance. How did such an important branch of economy become so destressed in the last couple of decades. The answer lies in excessive regulation of production, distribution and consumption. While other businessmen enjoy freedom about what they produce and price at which they sell, this option is not available to the farmer. Remove the restraints on agricultural marketing. It may lead to inflation. But, that must be controlled through monetary policy, not by artificialy restricting the prices of agricultural produce. But, electoral politics has skewed the economic treatment of agriculture in India. Giving Rs.6 k a year hardly improves the condition of farmers, while it causes a big drain on the resources of the government. It is official method of bribing, that is all.
Hail the Agriculturist and Nation will prosper!!
The great Poet Thiruvalluvar says” Only those ,who use the plough,till the land and eke out their living, ,are those who LIVE in their rights,
The rest are simply adulating others for their Living.”
The mother earth is Kisan’s friend ,and the Rain god is a free supplier of water for them.Sun god help his crop and his intelligence provides the know how for the Job.
He is like Zorba ,the Greek .Let us learn to respect Him,
It is suicidal for the Nation otherwise.
I have one-person NGO since 16 years working in Tal.Mangaon, Dist. Raigad, Maharashtra. Between 2009-11 I gave best and appropriate quality and quantity seeds and fertilizers with 60% subsidy in the first year, 50% in the second year only on fertilizers and 40% on fertilizers in the third year. Seeds needs replacement every 3 years. As the base was very low and the inputs not adequate and appropriate the production of paddy, the only kharif crop in Konkanmore than doubled from 800 kgs/acre to 17-1800 kgs/acre. Built 2 small check-dams and dredged the small river passing through the Village Chandore, farmers are able to grow watermelon, karela, cucumber, marigold flowers etc. between Nov.-April to be ready for monsoon paddy crop. By spending only 40-50 lacs more than 300 farmers are standing on their feet today. I do not provide any agricultural aid after the first 3-4 years. This is self-reliant and self-sustaining rural economy. Young and middle-aged earning less than 12-13000 Rs. per month in towns and cities have started reverse-migration, as they were not made aware that with 0.5-0.75 acre (that’s average holding per family, surprised!!!) a family of 5-6 can live under better environment and with the family. I have no regret of not-going to Wharton School in 1996 on a large scholarship after my PGDM from IIM, Calcutta. Incidentally IIMC awarded me Distinguish Alumnus award in 2013. Even if MPLAD money, 4000 crores, is used every year in this fashion, we will not need money for agriculture.
Warm regards
Bhupendra Madhiwalla
Mumbai
India cant have true Reform in many areas.Supreme court of India has given 101 judgements directing centre to implement many Reforms in the areas of Pollution control, Judicial Reforms like having IJS like the IAS,IPS to have permenant solution to the shortage of judges all over the country, Having supervisory bodies over lower judiciary etc and not less than 101 ideas/Reforms to improve the country,but the govt has hardly taken up any except deforms like CAA etc. I do not think that this kind of approach will help the country and the country’s state is sorry if you look today.Much worse,Rome also went into this kind of Deforms stage,prior to disintegration of The Mighty empire.Half baked kings or half knowledge peoples ended the Once Mighty roman Empire.