-The Hindu “We are the only country where vested interests want to keep the figures high” Even as the Centre is trying to find a face-saving solution to the issue of embarrassing poverty estimates put out by the Planning Commission, Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh on Sunday wondered why people were picking holes instead of celebrating the fact that the number of people living below the poverty line had come...

-PTI Observing that poverty, deprivation and destitution are Observing that poverty, deprivation and destitution are a reality in India, Ramesh has said the controversy over the Planning Commission pegging the poverty line at Rs 28.65 daily per capita consumption for cities and Rs 22.42 in rural areas started as it did not concentrate on the automatic exclusion of the beneficiaries. The Minister said that India has been a pioneer in poverty measurement...

-PTI Drinking just one can of soft drink daily may increase risk of heart attack, claims a new Harvard study but experts in India are sceptical about the findings even as they agree that excess consumption of such beverages is dangerous for health. The study, which surveyed over 40,000 men in the US for over a period of 22 years, found that taking just one sugar- sweetened drink a day increase the...

An international conference on agriculture beginning here on Tuesday will debate the multiple challenges faced by women in farms across developing economies, including finding gender-sensitive solutions to reduce drudgery involved in farm work with better technology innovation. From sowing to selling farm products, women’s role in agriculture has been globally recognized, A. Ayyappan, director general of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), told reporters on Monday. The three-day conference will address...

-The Indian Express The Bombay high court delivered a telling summary of all that’s wrong with Anna Hazare’s India Against Corruption, as it refused their request for a discount on the rent of the MMRDA grounds in Mumbai, where they have planned a public fast over their dissatisfaction with the Lokpal bill. The court spoke up for the primacy of Parliament in clear, clinching terms. “We cannot allow parallel canvassing” when the...