The farmers need to come out of their traditional mindset and develop business acumen to reap the benefits of food processing that has a lot to offer to the country, says joint secretary, ministry of food processing industries, Government of India, Ajit Kumar. Kumar was in the city to inaugurate one-day orientation training programme on food processing for farmers at then Banaras Hindu University on Sunday. Saying that commercial orientation and awareness...

Prepares a model amendment draft for Goa Panchayati Raj Draft amendments to be debated Clear division of functions, assets proposed Right to Information activist Arvind Kejriwal has suggested a series of powers to strengthen the Gram Sabhas including decision making powers about village affairs and a right to recall Sarpanch for failing to function according to decisions of the Gram Sabha. In a model amendment draft for the Goa Panchayati Raj already put in...

After the Niyamgiri ban, a controversy is brewing in Chhattisgarh over bauxite mining by Vedanta Resources, the UK-based mining conglomerate, in the Maikal hill ranges in Kawardha district with the opposition Congress demanding a probe into alleged large-scale infringement of green and tribal areas and violation of panchayat laws. "The devastation in Kawardha caused by mining activities of Vedanta Group is greater and worse than Orissa. Vedanta Group has managed to...

Stating that "nothing moves without money", the Supreme Court has expressed concern over growing corruption in government machinery, particularly in the Income Tax, Sales Tax and Excise Departments. "It is very unfortunate that there is no control over corruption in the country. There is rampant corruption particularly in the department of Income Tax, Sales Tax and Excise Department. Nothing moves without money," a Bench of Justices Markandeya Katju and T S...

Did former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu assault a tribal woman  during a meeting in East Godavari district? Yes, says a television channel, which repeatedly telecast the scene but Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) denies it. The visuals show TDP chief raising his hand to beat a woman, snatching the mike from her and even hitting her on her arm to force her to sit down. The main opposition...