-The News Minute Rice Diversity Blocks in Kerala and five other states preserve over 1,000 indigenous varieties of rice that were at risk of being lost. In the Indian subcontinent, the birthplace of paddy, the colours of the crop’s many varieties are as diverse as the land, its people, languages, cultures, costumes, dialects and so on. But most of that variety was lost, when farmers were asked to forgo indigenous varieties...

-Down to Earth FAO estimates that the world will need to produce some 60 per cent more food, on an average, to feed a hungry world by 2050 Governments, in conjunction with the private sector, need to tap agricultural science and technology research capacities to meet the zero hunger Challenge by 2030. This requires greater public expenditure and investment in science and technology, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says. Earlier, the...

-Livemint.com Mere demonetization would not serve the purpose, it would have to be taken in conjunction with other measures to correct systemic faults and not just destruction of cash Most of the country and even foreigners are going gaga over the move by the government to demonetize high-denomination notes. A presumption has been made that they mostly reflect black money or unaccounted wealth. A bold move indeed and there are many who...

-The Hindu Parliament is considering an amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act which would only end up helping the corrupt. Its passage would administer a big blow to our already weak anti-corruption mechanism As the nation engages in a doubtful “war on black money”, we run the risk of DISEngaging ourselves from any action on corruption, the fountainhead of black money. Indeed, we may be moving backwards in the battle against...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: India, with the highest malaria burden outside Africa, will need an investment of $18 billion to achieve its 2030 deadline to eliminate the DISEase, says a latest estimate by the health ministry and malaria advocacy groups. Severe malaria outbreaks in India, aggravated by poor sanitation and drainage, underline an urgent and growing need for financial commitment to deal with a menace estimated to inflict nearly $2...