-Down to Earth Forced maturity in plants due to higher temperatures can result in smaller seeds A comparatively 'warm' winter in Bihar this year could harm production of rabi crops like wheat, oil seed and pulses, agricultural scientists have predicted. According to experts, production of winter crops may be hit by at least 30-40 per cent if the weather in the eastern state is unchanged for long. The minimum temperature should be 10-12 degrees...

-TheWire.in/ PTI Venkatesh Nayak of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative said more than 20 lakh "ineligible farmers" and "income tax payee farmers” had been paid, according to information revealed under the RTI Act. New Delhi: The government has paid Rs 1,364 crore to 20.48 lakh undeserving beneficiaries under its ambitious PM-KISAN scheme, a reply to a Right to Information (RTI) query by the Union agriculture ministry reveals. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sammann Nidhi (PM-KISAN)...

-TheWire.in Development administration is a specialised job. At present, bureaucrats are transferred from one department to another with little attention to whether they have knowledge of agriculture or industries. The new year calls for a basic change in priorities – a need to focus on the development of rural areas. The current farmers’ agitation has thrown into sharp relief the failure of the government to understand the concerns of a large section...

-Down to Earth Said will facilitate talks before committee set up by the court The Supreme Court January 11, 2021 slammed the Narendra Modi government’s handling of protests by farmers over the recent agriculture-related laws. It called for a committee and said if the government doesn’t stays the three laws, the apex court would A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde said that it was disappointed with the way the government...

-The Tribune Review skeptical about programmes such as ‘Make-in-India’ and ‘Self-Reliant India’ New Delhi: The World Trade Organisation’s review of India’s trade policies has expressed concern about the high level of government intervention in the agriculture sector. Members recognised the importance of the sector in supporting livelihoods and food security. At the same time, they urged India to reform its agricultural policies as they continue to be based on “significant levels” of domestic and...