-NDTV Hyderabad: New state Telangana's first ever Budget session begins today with some bleak statistics on the table. Nearly 350 farmers have committed suicide in the five months since the state came into being on June 2 this year. Finance Minister Etala Rajender will present the Budget in the Assembly today. The opposition will arrive in the House ready to attack the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti or TRS government on farmers'...

-India Climate Dialogue A small village in Rajasthan sets an example by its model of environment governance which combines traditional and religious practices with scientific concepts to tackle problems brought on by climate change Lapodiya, a village of 200 households in Rajasthan, is a shining example of how environment governance at the grassroots level can save a village from natural disasters. Here, people have adopted innovative water conservation practices and a culture...

-The Indian Express Recent announcements on possible changes to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and restrictions on its coverage are baffling and worrisome. The passing of the MGNREGA and the Right to Information Act heralded a new vision of citizenship and state responsibility. The former created a safety net for the rural poor. The latter gave taxpayers and voters an opportunity to bridge the gap between state...

-Outlook The Supreme Court today asked the National Green Tribunal to take action against industrial units polluting Ganga including snapping water and power connections to them while slamming Centre and State Pollution Control Boards for their "failure" to punish erring units. Expressing deep concern over the present pollution level of the river, which it held to be the "lifeline" of the country, a bench headed by Justice T S Thakur gave a...

-Sanhati.com Even in the midst of a calamity, a war of perceptions is never too far. It is evident in the two narratives coming out of Kashmir as people grapple with flood and its aftermath. The first one highlights the contribution of the army with editorials, TV reporters and print media eulogizing its role and focusing on asking the victims if they felt "grateful" to the army for saving...