-PTI Washington: Collecting rainwater for vegetable irrigation could reduce water bills, increase caloric intake and even provide a second source of income for people in India, according to a new study by scientists looking at NASA satellite data. The study is based on precipitation data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, which provided observations of rainfall over the tropics and...

-The Hindu Business Line New delhi/Bengaluru: The rapid progress of the south-west monsoon across the country has accelerated the sowing pace of key kharif crops such as rice, pulses, oilseeds and cotton. The south-west monsoon, the lifeline of India’s agriculture, has covered the country two weeks ahead of schedule. Agriculture Ministry data showed that kharif planting has been done in 165.62 lakh hectares so far this year, against 134.18 lakh hectares in...

-The Times of India NEW delhi: delhi remains behind states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu in key health indicators, such as the infant mortality rate (IMR). The Economic Survey report 2014-15 shows that 22 of every 1,000 children born in the city in 2013 (the latest available data) died within a year of birth. The number of children dying within 29 days of birth—also called neonatal mortality rate (NMR)— stood at 15...

-PTI New delhi: In the previous year, when delhi was under President's Rule, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had presented a Rs.36,776 crore budget for the 2014-15 fiscal for delhi. The Aam Aadmi Party government on Thursday presented a Rs 41,129 crore budget with a major focus on education, health and transport sectors besides allocating funds to provide free wifi facility in colleges and villages. Presenting the budget, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia...

-The Telegraph New delhi: The health ministry's proposals to amend the abortion law have contradictory clauses that could force women to take unjustified decisions about their foetuses, a Mumbai gynaecologist said today, echoing concerns shared by other doctors. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1971 prohibits abortion after 20 weeks of gestation. But the ministry, in a draft document released last year, has proposed changes to make the duration of pregnancy...