-Frontline As rural Karnataka reels under an unprecedented wave of suicides by farmers, the State administration looks on, unwilling to address the reasons that have rendered rural livelihoods fragile. DEATH stalks rural Karnataka. In the 41 days between July 1 and August 10, as many as 245 farmers committed suicide, an average of six a day; since April 1, 284 farmers have taken their lives. As a bewildered State government gropes...

-Economic and Political Weekly A survey to identify who the poor are and how many are actually poor is necessary if programmes and benefits targeted at the needy are to reach them. The Socio Economic Caste Census, of which partial results have been published, was intended to do this. Yet, even a cursory look at the figures indicates that they call for a willing suspension of disbelief. N C Saxena (naresh.saxena@gmail.com) was...

-The Hindu WAYANAD (KERALA): All the farmers, especially the farmers in the modern generation are interested in adopting innovative techniques to increase the production of their crops or to reduce the cost of production. For which either they follow the advise of agriculture experts or simply emulate the agriculture practices of the progressive farmers in their area. Though many among them will try to to develop their own techniques but, very few...

-The Financial Express To deal with the possibility of a deficit monsoon, the agriculture ministry has suggested sowing of short- duration varieties of paddy, pulses, oilseeds and other less water-intensive crops in the northern India regions for curbing possible crop losses. In its first advisory for the northern Indian region, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), a premier institute under the ministry of agriculture, has suggested transplanting of short duration paddy varieties of...

-The Hindu CHINNAMANUR (Tamil Nadu): Paddy growers in Cumbum valley have successfully harvested rice fallow pulses, third crop in a year, thanks to summer rain in the last month. They had raised green gram in lands where they harvested paddy, the second crop in the valley. Summer rain had kept the paddy field wet after harvest, which was sufficient to raise the third crop. “To capitalise on the summer rain, we had recommended...