Latest news with #EFC
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New study exposes green energy org's ties to CCP interests while undermining US
FIRST ON FOX: A national security-focused nonprofit organization has released a comprehensive report detailing the workings of a well-funded nominally U.S.-based organization that it says is undermining American energy, pushing left-wing green initiatives and ultimately advancing Chinese interests. The report, published by State Armor, outlines the money trail of Energy Foundation China (EFC), registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is technically headquartered in San Francisco but with employees mostly based in Beijing. "Energy Foundation China used to be known as the Energy Foundation before it spun off most of its U.S.-based operations in 2019 into a separate organization called the U.S. Energy Foundation," the report explains. "While still formally organized as the Energy Foundation, since 2019, the organization has used the alias 'Energy Foundation China' or 'EF China' to differentiate from the now-separate U.S. Energy Foundation. The group was founded by Hal Harvey, a climate activist and entrepreneur with deep ties to numerous left-wing organizations and to China." State Armor found that EFC has "spent millions each year to bankroll climate advocates who promote phasing out fossil fuels and implementing green energy alternatives like the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the latter of which was the target of a 2018 Congressional inquiry into whether it should register as a foreign agent based on its Chinese funding." Former Top Hochul Aide's Unearthed Family Connections To Ccp Raises Alarm Bells The Rocky Mountain Institute produced one of the most prominent studies used by many Democrats to justify cutting down on gas stoves and was cited by President Joe Biden's Department of Energy. Read On The Fox News App Earlier this year, multiple committees joined to begin an investigation into EFC, and requested files from EFC President Zi Chou about financial resources given to American organizations after Fox News Digital reporting on the group funneling millions of dollars to fund climate initiatives and environmental groups in the U.S. The report details how EFC "led a U.S. state-level legislative drive" against Bayer, the leading Western fertilizer company, that pushed for lawsuits against the company over a potentially carcinogenic pesticide with the aim of driving the company out of the U.S. and in turn forcing reliance on Chinese suppliers. The report goes on to outline how the organization has "provided millions" to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) to support "a clean energy future" and how ICCT was an "active supporter" of climate initiatives in the Inflation Reduction Act targeting increased battery electric trucking infrastructure. Fox News Digital reported in 2023 that The Energy Foundation sent $480,000 to the Washington, D.C.-based International Council on Clean Transportation, which advocates for widespread EV adoption and policies decarbonizing the transportation sector broadly. It also wired grants — one to the University of Maryland and another to the Jackson Hole Center for Global Affairs — worth a total of $450,000 and earmarked for projects to phase out coal power reliance. Bombshell Report Suggests 'Chinese Spies' Infiltrating Prestigious Us University: 'Widespread Campaign' Josh Hodges, commissioner of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission and former national security advisor to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and NSC senior director in the first Trump administration, told Fox News Digital that EFC is a "textbook example of the CCP's asymmetric warfare strategy and drive to deepen its dominance over American companies." "Communist China is manipulating a supposed philanthropic network to steer the U.S. away from reliable domestic energy sources and into dependence on Chinese supply chains," Hodges said. "Whether it's solar panels, mobile phones, electric vehicle batteries, or agricultural chemicals, Beijing's fingerprints are all over the 'green transition' being pushed on America." The report quotes Chinese climate envoy Liu Zhenmin, who suggested that Biden's green energy policies will remain even under a more skeptical Trump administration and said, "even if the new Trump administration reverses climate change policies, it is unlikely to completely change the green transition actions that have already begun in various parts of the U.S." "In other words, the CCP's penetration of the U.S.' political and industrial systems runs so deep that CCP officials believe that not even a skeptical White House could halt America's growing dependence upon Chinese technologies," the report states. 'Coming For Us': Expert Sounds Alarm On Ccp's Mission To 'Kill Americans' After Fbi Makes Shocking Arrests Will Hild, executive director of Consumers' Research, told Fox News Digital that the report "exposes a disturbing truth" that EFC is part of a broader push to undermine American energy independence and "stifle" the Trump energy agenda to benefit the CCP. "EFC is weaponizing woke ideology to pull off this scheme and force American consumers to rely on the Chinese Communist Party for energy sources," Hild said. "Americans deserve to know the truth about our foreign adversary's campaign that is poisoning our economy and reshaping our energy future. We applaud organizations like State Armor that are working to expose these grifts against consumers." In addition to the EFC's climate activism, the report focuses on how, by "co-opting climate activism and dominating new so-called green supply chains, Beijing converts a domestic weakness into a global strength" while also detailing the ties between EFC and the CCP. For example, EFC's CEO Zou Ji has served in previous roles at top leadership positions in China's official National Center for Climate Change Strategy within the National Development and Reform Commission of the State Council. "He was so deeply tied into CCP leadership that he was included as a part of China's delegation to the 2015 Paris Climate Talks," the report says. "Zou's other affiliations include a position at Tsinghua University at a center where his colleagues include a retired senior PLA officer and a former deputy director of an MSS think tank." Zou is not the only EFC figure with ties to the CCP, the report says, pointing to EFC board member and Washington, D.C.-based attorney Hongjun Zhang, who serves as a member of China's Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development and was previously a legislative director for the China National People's Congress. Zhang, according to his law firm's bio page, spent "many years in the Chinese government" that included work at the "Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), State Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), and National Development and Reform Commission." The report states that EFC's operations in China are overseen by the CCP's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and that the organization's Beijing headquarters are located in a building owned by a state-owned investment corporation tied to Chinese state media propaganda. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., who is the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, sounded the alarm over the report, telling Fox News Digital, "This report confirms what we've long warned: the Chinese Communist Party is using seemingly innocuous nonprofits to influence American policy and undermine U.S. interests — in this case, our energy independence." "Energy Foundation China operates at the direction of the CCP and is exploiting our charitable system to push policies that benefit Beijing, not the American people," Moolenaar continued. "The Select Committee continues to investigate how CCP-linked organizations infiltrate U.S. institutions, shift critical supply chains toward China, and shape environmental agendas that aim to make America weaker while China gets stronger. We will continue to expose these influence operations and work with Congress and the administration to safeguard U.S. energy security and national sovereignty." The report also points to examples of EFC collaborating with U.S. entities and officials, including in 2023 when it "provided support" for an event that featured California Gov. Gavin Newsom during a visit to China and then hosted a forum a month later for a discussion promoting "low-carbon cooperation between the two nations." Vance Wagner, the vice president for strategic partnerships at Energy Foundation China, pushed back on the report, telling Fox News Digital, "Energy Foundation China (EFC) is an independent grantmaking charitable organization that provides funding for research and capacity building related to climate change and China." "Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing our world. Our work is currently focused on China given the scale of its energy sector and its role in global emissions. Despite geopolitical tensions, meaningful engagement with China on climate change and emissions reductions is in everyone's interests," Wagner continued. "All grants we make support projects related to climate change and China, and are in no way related to influencing U.S. energy policy. EFC does not accept funding from any government or political party." "Neither the Chinese government nor the CCP fund, direct, or control EFC or our grant-making decisions," he added. "We are compliant with all U.S. and Chinese laws and regulations and do not lobby or support electoral activities in any country." The report states that between 2020 and 2021, EFC gave over $1 million to the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for funding "green energy research" and laboratory training increasing the efficiency of China's industrial sectors. The Biden administration, according to the report, gave $60 million in grants to the Institute for Sustainable Communities, which is a group "frequently in collaboration with Energy Foundation China." "America's energy security is national security," Jason Isaac, CEO of American Energy Institute, told Fox News Digital. "The State Armor report lays bare how the Chinese Communist Party has co-opted climate activism to shift the U.S. onto so-called 'green' technologies that are manufactured, mined, and controlled by China. From solar panels to EV batteries and rare earth minerals, our supply chains are increasingly entangled with a foreign adversary that uses forced labor, ignores environmental safeguards, and openly aims to dominate the global energy future. This isn't progress — it's dependence. Real energy dominance means leveraging America's vast domestic energy resources, not outsourcing our future to Beijing." Along with the report, State Armor has sent letters to Republican committee chairs in Congress that call for prompt oversight on the matter. "Congress must act," the letter, authored by Lucci, implores. "Oversight is urgently needed to expose the full extent of this operation, beginning with Energy Foundation China. The EFC is not a passive observer; it is an active player in a geopolitical contest where America's energy security and global leadership hang in the balance." Fox News Digital's Thomas Catenacci and Joe Schoffstall contributed to this article source: New study exposes green energy org's ties to CCP interests while undermining US
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Congress must act': Nonprofit study exposes green energy org's ties to CCP interests while undermining US
FIRST ON FOX: A national security-focused nonprofit organization has released a comprehensive report detailing the workings of a well-funded nominally U.S.-based organization that it says is undermining American energy, pushing left-wing green initiatives and ultimately advancing Chinese interests. The report, published by State Armor, outlines the money trail of Energy Foundation China (EFC), registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is technically headquartered in San Francisco but with employees mostly based in Beijing. "Energy Foundation China used to be known as the Energy Foundation before it spun off most of its U.S.-based operations in 2019 into a separate organization called the U.S. Energy Foundation," the report explains. "While still formally organized as the Energy Foundation, since 2019, the organization has used the alias 'Energy Foundation China' or 'EF China' to differentiate from the now-separate U.S. Energy Foundation. The group was founded by Hal Harvey, a climate activist and entrepreneur with deep ties to numerous left-wing organizations and to China." State Armor found that EFC has "spent millions each year to bankroll climate advocates who promote phasing out fossil fuels and implementing green energy alternatives like the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the latter of which was the target of a 2018 Congressional inquiry into whether it should register as a foreign agent based on its Chinese funding." Former Top Hochul Aide's Unearthed Family Connections To Ccp Raises Alarm Bells The Rocky Mountain Institute produced one of the most prominent studies used by many Democrats to justify cutting down on gas stoves and was cited by President Joe Biden's Department of Energy. Read On The Fox News App Earlier this year, multiple committees joined to begin an investigation into EFC, and requested files from EFC President Zi Chou about financial resources given to American organizations after Fox News Digital reporting on the group funneling millions of dollars to fund climate initiatives and environmental groups in the U.S. The report details how EFC "led a U.S. state-level legislative drive" against Bayer, the leading Western fertilizer company, that pushed for lawsuits against the company over a potentially carcinogenic pesticide with the aim of driving the company out of the U.S. and in turn forcing reliance on Chinese suppliers. The report goes on to outline how the organization has "provided millions" to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) to support "a clean energy future" and how ICCT was an "active supporter" of climate initiatives in the Inflation Reduction Act targeting increased battery electric trucking infrastructure. Fox News Digital reported in 2023 that The Energy Foundation sent $480,000 to the Washington, D.C.-based International Council on Clean Transportation, which advocates for widespread EV adoption and policies decarbonizing the transportation sector broadly. It also wired grants – one to the University of Maryland and another to the Jackson Hole Center for Global Affairs – worth a total of $450,000 and earmarked for projects to phase out coal power reliance. Bombshell Report Suggests 'Chinese Spies' Infiltrating Prestigious Us University: 'Widespread Campaign' Josh Hodges, commissioner on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission and former national security advisor to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and NSC senior director in the first Trump administration, told Fox News Digital that EFC is a "textbook example of the CCP's asymmetric warfare strategy and drive to deepen its dominance over American companies." "Communist China is manipulating a supposed philanthropic network to steer the U.S. away from reliable domestic energy sources and into dependence on Chinese supply chains," Hodges said. "Whether it's solar panels, mobile phones, electric vehicle batteries, or agricultural chemicals, Beijing's fingerprints are all over the 'green transition' being pushed on America." The report quotes Chinese climate envoy Liu Zhenmin, who suggested that Biden's green energy policies will remain even under a more skeptical Trump administration and said, "even if the new Trump administration reverses climate change policies, it is unlikely to completely change the green transition actions that have already begun in various parts of the U.S." "In other words, the CCP's penetration of the U.S.' political and industrial systems runs so deep that CCP officials believe that not even a skeptical White House could halt America's growing dependence upon Chinese technologies," the report states. 'Coming For Us': Expert Sounds Alarm On Ccp's Mission To 'Kill Americans' After Fbi Makes Shocking Arrests Will Hild, executive director of Consumers' Research, told Fox News Digital that the report "exposes a disturbing truth" that EFC is part of a broader push to undermine American energy independence and "stifle" the Trump energy agenda to benefit the CCP. "EFC is weaponizing woke ideology to pull off this scheme and force American consumers to rely on the Chinese Communist Party for energy sources," Hild said. "Americans deserve to know the truth about our foreign adversary's campaign that is poisoning our economy and reshaping our energy future. We applaud organizations like State Armor that are working to expose these grifts against consumers." In addition to the EFC's climate activism, the report focuses on how, by "co-opting climate activism and dominating new so-called green supply chains, Beijing converts a domestic weakness into a global strength" while also detailing the ties between EFC and the CCP. For example, EFC's CEO Zou Ji has served in previous roles at top leadership positions in China's official National Center for Climate Change Strategy within the National Development and Reform Commission of the State Council. "He was so deeply tied into CCP leadership that he was included as a part of China's delegation to the 2015 Paris Climate Talks," the report says. "Zou's other affiliations include a position at Tsinghua University at a center where his colleagues include a retired senior PLA officer and a former deputy director of an MSS think tank." Zou is not the only EFC figure with ties to the CCP, the report says, pointing to EFC board member and Washington, D.C. based attorney Hongjun Zhang, who serves as a member of China's Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development and was previously a legislative director for the China National People's Congress. Zhang, according to his law firm's bio page, spent "many years in the Chinese government" that included work at the "Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), State Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), and National Development and Reform Commission." The report states that EFC's operations in China are overseen by the CCP's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and that the organization's Beijing headquarters are located in a building owned by a state-owned investment corporation tied to Chinese state media propaganda. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., who is the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, sounded the alarm over the report, telling Fox News Digital, "This report confirms what we've long warned: the Chinese Communist Party is using seemingly innocuous nonprofits to influence American policy and undermine U.S. interests – in this case, our energy independence." "Energy Foundation China operates at the direction of the CCP and is exploiting our charitable system to push policies that benefit Beijing, not the American people," Moolenaar continued. "The Select Committee continues to investigate how CCP-linked organizations infiltrate U.S. institutions, shift critical supply chains toward China, and shape environmental agendas that aim to make America weaker while China gets stronger. We will continue to expose these influence operations and work with Congress and the administration to safeguard U.S. energy security and national sovereignty." The report also points to examples of EFC collaborating with U.S. entities and officials, including in 2023 when it "provided support" for an event that featured California Gov. Gavin Newsom during a visit to China and then hosted a forum a month later for a discussion promoting "low-carbon cooperation between the two nations." Vance Wagner, the vice president for strategic partnerships at Energy Foundation China, pushed back on the report, telling Fox News Digital, "Energy Foundation China (EFC) is an independent grantmaking charitable organization that provides funding for research and capacity building related to climate change and China." "Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing our world. Our work is currently focused on China given the scale of its energy sector and its role in global emissions. Despite geopolitical tensions, meaningful engagement with China on climate change and emissions reductions is in everyone's interests," Vance continued. "All grants we make support projects related to climate change and China, and are in no way related to influencing U.S. energy policy. EFC does not accept funding from any government or political party." "Neither the Chinese government nor the CCP fund, direct, or control EFC or our grant-making decisions," he added. "We are compliant with all U.S. and Chinese laws and regulations and do not lobby or support electoral activities in any country." The report states that between 2020 and 2021, EFC gave over $1 million to the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for funding "green energy research" and laboratory training increasing the efficiency of China's industrial sectors. The Biden administration, according to the report, gave $60 million in grants to the Institute for Sustainable Communities, which is a group "frequently in collaboration with Energy Foundation China." "America's energy security is national security," Jason Isaac, CEO of American Energy Institute, told Fox News Digital. "The State Armor report lays bare how the Chinese Communist Party has co-opted climate activism to shift the U.S. onto so-called 'green' technologies that are manufactured, mined, and controlled by China. From solar panels to EV batteries and rare earth minerals, our supply chains are increasingly entangled with a foreign adversary that uses forced labor, ignores environmental safeguards, and openly aims to dominate the global energy future. This isn't progress – it's dependence. Real energy dominance means leveraging America's vast domestic energy resources, not outsourcing our future to Beijing." Along with the report, State Armor has sent letters to Republican committee chairs in Congress that call for prompt oversight on the matter. "Congress must act," the letter, authored by Lucci, implores. "Oversight is urgently needed to expose the full extent of this operation, beginning with Energy Foundation China. The EFC is not a passive observer; it is an active player in a geopolitical contest where America's energy security and global leadership hang in the balance." Fox News Digital's Thomas Catenacci and Joe Schoffstall contributed to this reportOriginal article source: 'Congress must act': Nonprofit study exposes green energy org's ties to CCP interests while undermining US
IOL News
04-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Boyd Allen: Transitioning from MMA Star to IBO All Africa Boxing Contender
GOING FOR GLORY Boyd Allen (right), former MMA star, aims for IBO All Africa boxing glory against undefeated Kagiso Bagwasi at South Africa's 'Fistic Havoc' event on 21 June. Picture supplied. While fans remember Allen for his MMA dominance — boasting a 16-6-1 record during his EFC reign — his pivot to boxing in 2018 was never a side project. Headlining this high-octane event is a Super Welterweight war for the IBO All Africa Title, a compelling continental clash between South Africa's Boyd Allen and Botswana's unbeaten southpaw threat, Kagiso Bagwasi. Lerena will be leaving his boxing gloves at home for this event as the ambassador for Aquila Boxing Promotions (ABP). Following The Reckoning in Pretoria last month, which saw Kevin Lerena defend his WBC bridgerweight title , the stage is now set for another big boxing event in South Africa when the 'Fistic Havoc' event takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre on June 21. Boyd's Journey: From Grit to Glory in the African Boxing Arena 'Boyd's story is exactly the kind of journey we want to spotlight,' said Lerena. 'He didn't walk in expecting shortcuts. He started from scratch, took risks, and built his boxing career brick by brick.' Since making his professional debut in October 2018, he has compiled a record of eight wins, one loss, and one draw, with notable victories that highlight his evolution from striker to structured, thinking boxer. He snatched the WBA Pan African title in just his third pro bout — a statement of intent — and has only grown sharper since. Now, standing between him and the IBO All Africa gold is Kagiso Bagwasi, a slick, powerful fighter from Botswana with an unblemished 6-0 record and a 50% Knock-Out (KO) rate. Bagwasi's recent first-round demolition of South African powerhouse Almighty Moyo turned heads across the region and confirmed what insiders already knew — the kid can punch, and he comes to finish. But for Aquila Boxing Promotions, it's also about the bigger picture. 'We're beyond grateful to have powerhouse partners in our corner — the kind that don't just support the vision, they supercharge it,' said Lerena. 'Massive thanks to my sponsors: World Sports Betting, Tigris Wealth, Supersport, JCP Steel, and HP. Without your backing, this event wouldn't be the premier, high-calibre showcase it is today. You don't just elevate the event — you define it. 'South African boxing has the talent, the heart, the legacy. What it needs is infrastructure, consistency, and belief. That's what ABP is committed to delivering.' IOL Sport
New Indian Express
04-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Finance ministry likely to approve 12% higher outlay for MGNREGS
NEW DELHI: The Finance Ministry is likely to approve a 12% hike in the outlay of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for five years, as demanded by the Ministry of Rural Development, sources said. Recent media reports have said that the MoRD has sought an outlay of Rs 5.23 lakh crore for MGNREGS for five years until 2029-30 in its proposal to the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC). EFC is responsible for appraising and approving schemes with significant budgetary implications. Sources in the Finance Ministry said that the ministry may give a go ahead to the proposal and it will be finalised after Cabinet approval. In the previous five financial years from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the central fund amounted Rs 4.68 lakh crore for MGNREGS. For the 2024-25 financial year, the budget allocation for the MGNREGA was Rs 86,000 crore, same as what was spent on the scheme as per the revised estimate of 2024-2025. The findings of a recent report by LibTech India, showed that employment fell by 7.1% in 2024–25, despite an 8.6% rise in registered households, under the scheme. It showed only 7% households availed the promised 100 days of work under the MGNREGA scheme. It also pointed out that average workdays dropped by 4.3%, and 100-day completion households fell by 11.9%. While states with the sharpest employment drops included Odisha (34.8%), Tamil Nadu (25.1%), and Rajasthan (15.9%), Maharashtra (39.7%), Himachal Pradesh (14.8%), and Bihar (13.3%) showed gains.
Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Rural ministry seeks 12% hike in outlay of Rs 5.23 lakh crore for MGNREGS over 5 years
The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has sought an outlay of Rs 5.23 lakh crore for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for five years until 2029-30 in its May 15 proposal to the Expenditure Finance Committee, The Indian Express has learnt. EFC is a panel under the Finance Ministry that appraises all government schemes and projects. The outlay for five years till 2029-30 is about 12 per cent higher than the Central release of Rs 4.68 lakh crore for MGNREGS during the previous five financial years, 2020-21 to 2024-25. The release had peaked at Rs 1,09,810 crore in 2020-21, the first full year after Covid outbreak. During this year, there was a spike in demand for work when a record 7.55 crore rural families availed the scheme, which became a safety net for migrants who returned to their villages after a national lockdown was imposed. The Central release progressively declined to Rs 85,680 crore in 2024-25, the lowest in the last five years. The number of families working under the scheme gradually dropped over the years — 7.25 crore in 2021-22; 6.18 crore in 2022-23; 5.99 crore in 2023-24; and 5.79 crore in 2024-25. In 2024-25, the total Central release was Rs 85,680 crore. The last three financial years (2022-23 to 2024-25) do not include MGNREGS beneficiaries' figures for West Bengal, where the scheme has been suspended since March 2022. Sources in the government said the EFC appraisal and approval is part of the Centre's exercise to evaluate and approve its schemes for the next Finance Commission cycle. The MGNREGS is backed by law and therefore the EFC approval is just a formality. The outlay proposed by the MoRD is just 'estimated' and is 'subject to change' as the MGNREGS is a demand-driven scheme, they said. The scheme is notified by different states and UTs under Section 4 of the MGNREG Act 2005, which says that 'every State Government shall, within six months from the date of commencement of this Act, by notification, make a Scheme, for providing not less than one hundred days of guaranteed employment in a financial year to every household in the rural areas covered under the Scheme and whose adult members, by application, volunteer to do unskilled manual work subject to the conditions laid down by or under this Act and in the Scheme…' Section 22 of the Act provides for funding patterns of the scheme. According to the Act, the Central government is responsible for paying 100 per cent cost of three components — wages, administrative expenses and Social Audit Units (SAUs) — and up to three-fourths of the material cost of the scheme, including payment of wages to skilled and semi-skilled workers, subject to provisions of Schedule II of the Act. The state governments are responsible for meeting the costs of the following: (a) cost of unemployment allowance payable under the scheme; (b) one-fourth of the material cost of the scheme, including payment of wages to skilled and semi-skilled workers, subject to provisions of Schedule II; (c) administrative expenses of the State Council. 'No change is proposed in the current funding pattern across all components,' a source told The Indian Express. The MGNREGS was launched in 200 most backward rural districts of the country in 2006-07 and was extended to an additional 130 districts during 2007-08; and to the entire country from financial year 2008-09. The MoRD has circulated the EFC note at a time when the government has set in motion the process of prioritising its schemes for the 16th finance cycle starting April 1 next year. The Ministry of Finance has told all ministries and departments that no Centrally Sponsored Scheme or Central Sector Scheme will be considered for continuation beyond March 31, 2026, unless a third-party evaluation of the scheme is carried out. According to the Finance Ministry, there are 54 Centrally Sponsored Schemes and 260 Central Sector Schemes, which have their terminal date of approval until March 31, 2026 and are likely to be submitted for re-appraisal. Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister's Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More
