-The Indian Express Around October every year, farmers in Punjab, Haryana and other North West Indian states set fire to paddy residue in order to clear their fields to sow fresh wheat crops. New Delhi: Stubble burning in Punjab can be controlled completely if farmers are compensated for management of paddy straws, the state’s agriculture secretary K S Pannu told The Indian Express Monday. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh would...

-The Hindu Conversations between governments and citizens and among citizens themselves are crucial in a democracy A very instructive passage on the difference in norms of debate among ancient Indian scholars, on the one hand, and kings and their subjects, on the other is found in the ancient text, Milinda-pañha. It records an exchange between the Indo-Greek king Milinda (Menander) and the Buddhist monk N?gasena. When the king fails to understand a point...

-The Indian Express Defence is a national public good. It is the primary responsibility of the Centre. The amendment to the terms of reference (TOR) issued to the Fifteenth Finance Commission asking it to examine “..a separate mechanism for funding of defence and internal security ought to be set up and if so, how such a mechanism could be operationalised,” has triggered some suggestions on the need to have a relook...

-The Indian Express However, fines for violations such as overspeeding, drunken driving and racing will remain unchanged. Bengaluru: Falling in line with states like Gujarat and Uttarakhand, the Karnataka government has reduced the high traffic fines introduced by the Centre under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 by 30-50 per cent. The latest changes come after Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said last week that he will follow Gujarat’s footsteps in...

-Down to Earth Food Corporation of India storages are spilling from excess food stocks and the new Kharif procurement season is only a month away The Union government was mulling over selling excess foodgrains to some African countries before the new Kharif procurement season starts next month, according to a government official. “There is a plan under consideration to use foodgrains as diplomatic tools for African countries like Ghana, which is a net...