-The Indian Express Two loan defaults lead to two different outcomes, year upon year, a nightmare version of déjà vu. The former exits the country; the latter exits the mortal world. Liquor baron Vijay Mallya and diamond jeweler Nirav Modi could jointly run a crash course for the debt-ridden and beleaguered farmers of Vidarbha, nay the entire country: How to stay cool with unpaid debts. Mallya could tell the peasantry, for instance, how...

-Down to Earth The storm spoiled standing crops in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh When farmers were already trying to cope with the losses they had incurred after the last hailstorm in February, March 4 saw fresh hailstorms in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. After losing 50 per cent to 90 per cent of its standing crops to the storm and erratic rains, several farmers’ organisations seek compensation. “Crops of mustard, barley,...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Be prepared for a hot spring and a scorching summer. The Met office says average temperatures from March to May across half the country are likely to be above normal by more than 1 degree Celsius. These months are expected to be particularly merciless in north India. Delhi, along with Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, is likely to see average temperatures soar over 1.5 degrees above normal....

-Firstpost.com/ The Ladies Finger “After all, what did the widows of farmers know about agriculture, crop management, bank loans, private debts, land documents, health bills, power connections, panchayat politics, children’s education? The short answer was – everything.” When farmers commit suicide in India – an occurrence so common that ‘farmer suicides’ is a phrase that’s become commonplace in newsrooms and policy spaces – their deaths are assessed and a compensation is given...

-The Indian Express Minimum temperatures are likely to come down by 2-3 degrees Celsius in Northwest, Central and Western India over the next 48 hours, the IMD said. The current spell of rain in North and Central India will be beneficial to the standing rabi crop, especially wheat, though there are concerns over chana (chickpea) and masur (lentil) that are in the maturity or harvesting stages. “This rain is very good for wheat...