-The Indian Express The last two years have seen some progress in expediting completion of unfinished major and minor canal projects. Pune: Sustained efforts over the last two years to improve irrigation access for farmers in India seem to have begun showing results, at least in terms of creation of physical infrastructure. The Narendra Modi government had, in 2016, embarked on a mission to complete all unfinished major and medium irrigation projects – some...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Mewat in Haryana is the most backward district of the country followed by Asifabad (Telangana), Singrauli (MP), Kiphire (Nagaland) and Shrawasti (UP), reveals Niti Aayog's ranking of 101 aspirational (backward) districts. The Aayog released the baseline ranking for 101 aspirational districts based on 49 indicators across five sectors that includes health and nutrition (30% weightage), education (30%), agriculture and water resources (20%), financial inclusion and skill...

-The Hindu Business Line Kota Neelima digs into farmer suicide cases to chronicle lives often labelled as collateral damage In last November, when All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, an umbrella organisation of around 190 farmer groups from across the country, organised a Kisan Mukti Sansad in Delhi, there was one event that moved almost everyone of thousands present there. About two dozens children of those farmers who had committed suicide in...

-The Hindu More agricultural workers committed suicide in 2016, but the overall number of suicides in the farm sector dipped almost 10% in comparison with the previous year, according to provisional data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) that the Agriculture Ministry shared with Parliament on Tuesday. Overall, 11,370 people in the farming sector committed suicide in 2016, in comparison to 12,602 the previous year. From 2014, the NCRB has been dividing...

-Hindustan Times An MLA speaking in the House must withdraw his words immediately and cannot argue when the assembly speaker terms as “unparliamentary” any word or parts of a sentence by the lawmaker, the amended rules say. Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh legislators can’t ask in the assembly questions on communal riots, sensitive events, confidential issues, and any query that may encourage secessionism or threaten the country’s unity, according to changes in House rules,...