This month a group of Dalit (or Untouchables, as they were formerly labelled) students organised a Beef Festival in Osmania University of Hyderabad. It was the festival to assert their culinary rights in public and make a political statement of dietary habits of Dalits and Muslims – by cooking and eating beef Biryani on campus. About 2000 students participated and although it started out well, the festival was disrupted and students...

-Reuters Latest World Bank food price index showed the cost of food rose 8% between December and March Global food prices are rising again, pushed higher by costlier oil, strong demand from Asia and bad weather in parts of Europe, South America and the United States, the World Bank said on Wed nesday. The latest World Bank food price index showed the cost of food rose 8% between December and March. In the...

-The Economic Times The Centre has assured Trinamool Congress that deregulation of diesel prices would not be carried out soon, advertising its lack of resolve for tough reform measures. A Trinamool Congress leader told ET that minister of state in the PMO V Narayansamy has conveyed to the party that de-regulation of diesel was not government's priority. State-controlled oil companies had lost Rs 80,000 crore in the year ended March 31 on...

-The Financial Express After plummeting to a record low two months back, the retail price of potatoes has risen sharply due to lower supplies. The prices have been rising mainly due to expectations of a lower rabi output in the key producing states of Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Traders at Delhi’s Azadpur market say potato prices have risen in the last two weeks because of lower supplies from UP, West Bengal and...

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to submit a disposal plan for the raw material used to manufacture endosulfan, Hexachlorocyclopentadiene (HCCP), an organochlorine compound. It is used in several pesticides. The Supreme Court had given an interim order  to ban the use, manufacture, sale and export of endosulfan on May 13 last year. Exports were allowed in September and December last year. The April 23 order came after the Pesticides...