-Reuters A shortfall in monsoon rains has widened to nearly 50 percent of average in the past week, making a revival next week crucial for farmers to sow summer-planted crops such as rice, corn, cane, cotton and soybean. The annual rains are crucial for farm output and economic growth as about 55 percent of the South Asian nation's arable land is rain-fed. Farm sector accounts for about 15 percent of a nearly $2-trillion...

-The Hindu Most people remain at the mercy of a venal administration that, encouraged by the absence of an independent watchdog, exploits them relentlessly   The state of affairs in the country is characterised by rampant corruption at all levels leading to a breakdown in the rule of law and lack of accountability all around. One can say that there is a complete collapse of governance in the country. Something drastic needs to...

-Pratirodh Bureau After the radiation accident at the Rawatbhata Atomic Power Plant (RAPP) was brought into light by DiaNuke.org, the NPCIL’s media managers seems to have gone into a knee-jerk trouble shooting mode.    Whereas the initial news in Rajasthan Patrika mentions 38 workers being exposed to Tritium leak at Rawatbhata, Nalinish Nagaich, the Executive Director in-charge of media at the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has reportedly said that only...

-The Times of India   GUWAHATI: Prime Minister manmohan singh on Monday announced an ad hoc central assistance of Rs 500 cr to help the state fight of the worst floods in almost a decade and assured more aid after the central team submits its report. Accompanied by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and chief minister Tarun Gogoi, Singh made an aerial survey of the devastation caused by floods in the worst-affected districts...

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi is often in the news for wrong reasons. But when he says that India’s major problems are Naxalism and malnutrition, we need to sit up and listen. It was on January 10, 2012, that Prime Minister manmohan singh called hunger and malnutrition a national shame while releasing the Naandi Foundation’s Hunger and Malnutrition (HUNGaMA) Survey Report 2011. It was a high-profile occasion, given that the multi-party...