-Hindustan Times It is the unfolding crisis in Pakistan and Sri Lanka which is forcing countries like Maldives, Nepal and Bangladesh to think again on Chinese infrastructure loans and being part of the BRI initiative. During his trip to India last week, Nepal PRIme Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba informally shared a conversation about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to Kathmandu in late March. The Nepalese PM, who has an equally political...

-The Hindu Business Line Some manufacturers have hiked PRIces, others await clarity on the situation New Delhi: The fertiliser industry is not hopeful of an increase in subsidies from last year’s level for non-urea crop nutrients despite global PRIces shooting up sharply. Several companies have increased the maximum retail PRIce (MRP) of fertilisers, while some others are waiting for clarity. The recent farmers’ movement and the farm leaders’ unsuccessful dabbling in electoral politics...

-The Telegraph Merchants fear the new decision may result in corruption Dhandbad: Food grain traders across the state are up in arms against the new Jharkhand State Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Act 2022 implemented by government as per which a 2% Bazar fee is to be imposed on all transactions held in 'Agriculture Produce Market Committee' operated markets across the state. The protesting food grain traders have termed the decision of the...

-The Hindu The existing approach of dealing with surface water and groundwater independently has severe limitations The theme of this year’s World Water Day (March 22) was ‘Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible’. The PRImary focus is to draw attention to the role of groundwater in water and sanitation systems, agriculture, industry, ecosystems, and climate change adaptation. Groundwater helps reduce the risk of temporary water shortage and caters to the needs of arid...

-The Telegraph It was biting commentary and the political bosses flinched at it, possibly hated it, but they endured it all right. What does the vanishing art of cartooning tell us about ourselves? Recently, the Museum of Cartoon Art was inaugurated at Savitribai Phule Pune University and an art gallery, also in Pune, by PRIme Minister Narendra Modi in memory of the legendary cartoonist R.K. Laxman. A little ironic given that political...