-The Indian Express The incidence of farmers taking their own lives is higher in regions where cooperative banks are the weakest. Nanded (Maharashtra): The verdant soyabean fields at Digras today are a far cry from the barren landscape they presented only a few months ago. But for residents of this village in Ardhapur taluka of Nanded district, the memories of drought in three out of the last four years will not fade...

-The Hindu The findings point to corruption, politics as the adversaries of journalists working in small towns. Reporting in India can be a dangerous business as a report compiled by an independent watchdog, the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ), has observed. Twenty-seven journalists have died under unnatural circumstances since 1992; increasingly, the victims are from small towns. There have been zero convictions, raising questions about the governments’ intent to allow journalists...

-Outlook A crusader for Dalit rights, Bezwada Wilson, on reclaiming for the Dalits a life of human dignity in a structurally apathetic society. On many occasions, the Ramon Magsaysay Award has been bestowed on individuals of various ilks and ideological persuasions. For the first time, perhaps, it speaks to an issue that touches the lives of millions of people because an award for Bezwada Wilson (50) is an international acknowledgement of the...

-The New Indian Express THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After facing subsequent delays, National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, will be finally rolled out in the state in six months. In a significant decision, the Cabinet on Thursday decided to issue new ration cards - which will see BPL/AAY cards replaced with priority category cards - by December. The Cabinet also cleared a proposal to rank ration card-holders at the state level to determine the priority...

-Outlook Founder of Daksh, Harish Nara­sappa, on the need to set up a separate administration for the judiciary to free up jud­ges’ time Bangalore-based Daksh has analysed data from courts to map the challenges facing the judiciary. The key finding, says its founder Harish Nara­sappa, is that there is a need to set up a separate administration for the judiciary to free up jud­ges’ time. Excerpts from a conversation with Ajay Sukumaran: *...