-The Times of India NEW DELHI: On the eve of the first year anniversary of the Midday MEAl (MDM) tragedy in Bihar's Saran district, a new report released by India for Safe Food (IFSF) has found that that government is not acting decisively against pesticides to prevent such cases in the future. On July 16, 2013 23 children died in Saran district school due to pesticide poisoning after consuming tainted food cooked...

-Down to Earth System of crop intensification, specially in rice, has shown sizeable savings in water and seed usage. Yet its adoption has not spread despite incentives SIMPLE TECHNIQUES and manag-ement practices tend to be viewed with suspicion. In the age of input-intensive agriculture which calls for an array of machinery and a host of scientific props, a crop management system whose core basically is protecting the plant's roots to provide better...

-The Hindu Business Line A Budget for agriculture A Budget is, generally speaking, a poor instrument for correcting food inflation. But this one conveys a clear intent to target the economic roots of the malaise by addressing supply side concerns. It also takes a long-term view of issues affecting the sector, transcending short-term production concerns. On the demand side, the simple economic response of reducing consumption can hardly apply, without compromising on nutrition....

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The government is examining proposals from the information technology industry to intensify real-time analysis of social media platforms for keeping tabs on developing events, public mood and impending threats. Sources said senior officials of the National Security Council held a meeting with representatives of software giant Infosys late last month after which a committee was constituted to brief the private company for developing a web application portal that...

-The Hindustan Times Chandigarh: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has pointed out an avoidable expenditure of Rs. 18.59 crore on giving subsidised wheat to more than 1.73 lakh ineligible below poverty line (BPL) card holders in Haryana between December 2011 and March 2013. The CAG report on social, general and economic sectors, tabled in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Monday, pointed out that the Haryana food and supplies department...