-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: Even as the Narendra Modi government is trying to formulate a politically acceptable Land Acquisition Bill, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has asked all state governments to submit their land acquisition legislations to check if they have built in adequate safeguards for Scheduled Tribes. The move comes after BJP-ruled Rajasthan government's legislation irked the commission. NCST has served a notice to Rajasthan government for deviating from...

-The Hindu ADT-39 variety has been planted and 60 prisoners involved in raising the crop TIRUCHI: Expanding farming activity on its vast stretch of lands, the Tiruchi Central Prison authorities have gone for paddy cultivation. Paddy nurseries were planted on two acres of jail lands by engaging convicts recently. Prison authorities said the ADT-39 variety had been planted and the harvest would be done in three months. Ahead of taking up this activity,...

-The Hindu Telengana: Empowered by disciplined thrift activity for close to two decades now, a group of enterprising women members of the Self Help Groups (SHGs) are charting a new course by entering male dominated domain of marketing agriculture produce directly to the processors. The effort has paid off with the farmers in at least 10 mandals of Nizamabad and Adilabad district benefiting a lot. Thanks to the encouragement by Gram Abhyudaya...

-The Hindu Rural web access will grow on availability of content in languages including Hindi, Tamil India is expected to see an unprecedented boom in the number of Internet users over the next few years but for a host of Internet companies it means a wholesale change in the language in which they engage with their potential new consumers. According to a November report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI),...

-Economic and Political Weekly The importance of hand-washing in personal and public hygiene has evolved over the centuries. While the market with its countless number of soaps and hand-wash products for personal hygiene with the accompanying advertising has created a false sense of security, it is community hygiene implemented through public health measures that is really effective in the battle against disease. Lekha D Bhat (lekhabhatd@gmail.com) teaches at the Department of Social...