-The Hindu Business Line ‘Higher output due to other factors’ Much of the increase in cotton yields in India cannot be attributed to the adoption of transgenic cotton, as claimed earlier, but to other factors such as increase in area of cultivation, fertiliser use, better irrigation and new class of insecticides in last 15 years, according to a new study. The study appeared in the journal Nature Plants last week. It was the...

-The Indian Express Dealing with COVID-19 requires a clear public health focus while addressing fears at the individual level. My friend, whose daughter is in the US, rang me up for advice. A coronavirus case has been reported from her city. Should he get his daughter to India? Is air travel safe? Everyone is worried about the way the COVID-19 outbreak will play out. In today’s networked world, heightened sensitivities make it...

-TheWire.in In 'Capital and Ideology', the economist expands his investigations across the globe and over long periods of history to explore the role of ideologies in fuelling inequality. Thomas Piketty made his name in 2014, when his Capital in the Twenty-First Century became an unlikely bestseller. Overnight, he achieved rockstar status – a rarity for an economist. The book seemed to express the outrage against economic inequality, which was making headlines then,...

-The Indian Express Montek Singh Ahluwalia’s book helps frame the problem: Tilt in favour of consumer in food policy reduces incentives for farmers, makes it difficult to unlock resources for growth. Last month, Montek Singh Ahluwalia’s book, Backstage: The Story Behind India’s High Growth Years, was released. It is an account of India’s economic reform journey— a process in which Montek was an insider for about 30 years. Besides some very interesting...

-The Hindu Innovative techniques needed to extend nutrition services in urban areas, it says Poor women in urban areas were shorter, thinner and more anaemic as compared to those from higher wealth categories, according to a new study which calls for policy initiatives to focus on urban poor women to curb malnutrition. The research aims at determining the levels and trends of different forms of malnutrition among urban poor women and look beyond...