-The Times of India BHUBANESWAR: The state government has decided to overhaul the midday meal scheme in over 65,000 schools in the state by this year end to ensure quality food for the mid-day meal. The state government has asked the state food Safety commissioner to conduct laboratory test of food samples at least once a month. "Random samples will be collected from different schools at least once a month and will...

-The Hindu Business Line Rejuvenated, clean and hygienic, they are a sustainable alternative to tube wells As 35-year-old Dharma Devi lowers her bucket into the ancient, stone well to draw drinking water for her family, she grumbles about the quality of the water body. “This one is closest to our fields, so we have to use it. But look at the overgrowth of plants around it and the filth that can fall...

-Outlook Scientist and longtime activist against genetically modified BT seeds, Dr. Vandana Shiva, talks about why BT has a devastating fallout. A sudden pest attack has ruined cotton crops in large parts of Punjab, bringing biotech, or BT Cotton back into focus. Farmers who used bio-fertilisers in the Malwa region of the state are said to be safe from this latest pestilence. But those growing BT cotton have lost everything. There...

-The Hindu In July 2011, advertisements for deodorants — by Axe, Set Wet Style & Zatak — were pulled off air for being derogatory to women. As the blood bag runs out, a doctor is seen haggling on the phone for more units of A blood group. He concludes the call by saying: 19-20 ka farak hai. A nahin toh AB de do. There is hardly any difference. If you don’t have...

-Business Standard At present, the average crop insurance premium on pulses that a farmer has to pay ranges between 10 per cent and 12 per cent of the sum insured New Delhi: To provide a Safety net to growers of pulses, which could also help boost production, the Centre's proposed new crop insurance policy has pegged the burden of premium on pulses at a moderate two per cent of the sum insured. Officials...