Four infants aged below two years died and 17 children fell ill after they were administered an anti-measles and tetanus vaccine at Anganwadi centres in Damoh town, in Madhya Pradesh. Around 20 infants were administered the vaccine at two Anganwadi centres in Damoh on Friday afternoon. By Sunday afternoon, four of these infants were dead while the others had been admitted to a local hospital in a critical condition. Preliminary...

The economist and political commentator who was appointed to a four-member team of the UN to recommend reforms to the global financial system critiques Budget 2010 Economist and political commentator Prabhat Patnaik, currently vice-chair of the Kerala Planning Board, is a strong critic of the government’s economic policies. In 2008, Patnaik, who has taught at JNU since the 1970s, was appointed to a four-member team of the UN to recommend...

This staggering loss has affected India's agri business Sustainable Supply Chains needed to link farmer to marketing centres The decline in the farm sector will hit the food and grocery retail sector too. It is estimated that the growth rate in the food and grocery retail sector will dip to 8.8 per cent during 2009-10 from 9.5 per cent during 2008-09. The food and grocery retail sector is worth Rs. 10.24 lakh crore....

Food inflation rose marginally to 17.87% for the week ended February 20 on the back of higher prices of milk, wheat, rice and vegetables. The figure in the previous week was at 17.58%. On an annual basis, price of rice increased 10%, wheat 14%, pulses 35%, onions 11% and potatoes 28%. Inflation in fuel, power light and lubricant group was 9.59%, slightly lower than 9.89% in the previous week. However,...

Spiralling prices of pulses have shown India’s dependence on imports. Pulses are integral to India’s diet but not its food policy. As a result, supply cannot meet demand. What are the consequences and solutions? Surendra Nath has switched to eating grass-pea, though he knows it is not good for health. But so is tobacco, he argues. He cannot do without pulses and pigeon-pea selling at Rs 100 a kg is beyond...