-The Indian Express It’s not as if the Centre cannot initiate reforms in agriculture. In fact, in at least three major areas, the onus for leadership and action lies with the Centre. For over a year, there have been news reports of Niti Aayog, the erstwhile Planning Commission’s new avatar, working on a wide-ranging reform package for India’s farm sector. In recent months, teasers have appeared hinting at the Centre’s plans of...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: All banking institutions in India may soon chip in to increase India's Forest cover in a coordinated manner. If the environment ministry has its way, all banks will be asked to join the central and the state governments in their ongoing efforts of afForestation. The move will be part of one of the 10 ways, identified by the Centre, to reach India's key climate goal. As...

-The Hindu Business Line An Odisha organisation is working hard to preserve traditional foods and prevent the mainstream from swallowing up local knowledge systems Inside a candy pink-and-yellow shamiana, a group of children in blue uniforms line up in front of stalls heaving with different kinds of foods. Tubers in shades of brown, beige and cream; pink and red berries; tiny yellow, orange and red tomatoes; leaves of many sizes and shapes;...

-The Hindu The avian flu virus was first detected in migratory birds in New Delhi Jaipur: After deaths of migratory birds due to avian flu were reported in Delhi, an alert was sounded in Rajasthan over the weekend, asking authorities and the public at large to keep a watch on the health of birds and take precautionary measures to check the likely outbreak of bird flu in the State. A communiqué received by...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: India is readying a raft of far-reaching reforms in the neglected agriculture sector, often seen as a politically sensitive subject, by trying to pitch the Niti Aayog’s blueprint directly with the states. Liberal contract farming, direct purchase from farmers by private players, direct sale by farmers to consumers, single trader licence, single point levy of taxes and taking fruits and vegetables out of the mandi laws are...