-The Hindu     I have not approved such trials: Union Minister Bangalore: Confronted by farmers on the issue of permission given for field trials of genetically modified (GM) crops, Union Minister for Environment and Forests M. Veerappa Moily on Tuesday said that "he only examined the file concerned and returned it without approving any such trials." Mr. Moily was reacting to farmers associated with the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and South Indian Co-ordination...

-The United Nations The United Nations agricultural agency today launched a new database which gathers under one roof previously scattered information about land cover - how much land is covered by croplands, trees, Forests, or bare soils - crucial to establishing a good global understanding of the physical characteristics of the Earth's surface. "A strong understanding of our planet's land cover is essential to promoting sustainable land resources management - including agricultural...

-Outlook As subsidies for the poor continue to be under attack, a ground-up report from 10-states shows how well welfare schemes have worked over the last 10 years. Ahead of Elections 2014, rights-based welfare schemes are under attack. To those who argue ‘Dolenomics' doesn't work, a survey of five schemes in 10 states shows that the Rs 1,68,478 crore annually the nation spends is making a real and tangible difference on...

-PTI Hailstorms have had a wider impact on crops, since a large quantity of crops including wheat, grapes, mustard and vegetables have been damaged in Maharashtra Mumbai: Crop in more than eight lakh hectares in Maharashtra has been damaged by untimely rain and hailstorm in some parts of the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said here today. "I have spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in...

-The Hindu Like 75-year-old Mano Devi, many villagers of Latehar in Jharkand have been running from pillar to post to get Aadhaar card Latehar: At 11 am, Mano Devi reached the Garu block centre, Latehar, in a basket slung from a bamboo stick, carried by two youths from village Doram, 25 km away. The young men, Bhojendra Singh and Mithu Singh, went straight to the pragya kendra (IT centre) but Mano Devi...