-The Hindu Appachi eco-logic cotton project is a unique organic cotton contract farm model in the Western Ghats region of Kabini Reservoir. The project covers nearly 1,200 farmers spread over 1,875 acres. Over 17 per cent of the area comes under reserve forests of both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and exposing the cultivation fields to wild animal attacks is forcing farmers to start cotton cultivation on a mono cropping basis instead of...

-Outlook Kolkata: Opposing the blanket ban imposed on bicycles and other forms of non-motorised transport (NMT) in the city, eminent social activist Medha Patkar today said such restrictions take away the Right to life of poor people. "A lot of poor people are dependent on non-motorised transport for their livelihood, such a ban in effect takes away their Right to life," Patkar said at the Transport City Dialogue here through videoconferencing. She said...

The Pension Parishad is holding a dharna in Delhi for the rights of elderly since 26 November. It has demanded that a Universal and Non Contributory Old Age Pension System should be established with a minimum dignified amount of monthly pension not less than 50% of minimum wage or Rs 2000/- per month, whichever is higher. Despite several rounds of talk held between the campaign leaders and the Government in...

-The United Nations The United Nations health agency today released new treatment guidelines for the almost 20 million children under the age of five worldwide who have severe acute malnutrition, including options for allowing them to recover at home, as well as treating those with HIV. "The guidelines are critical because many national health plans currently overlook children with severe acute malnutrition. This can be fatal. If these children don't get the...

-The Hindu     ‘It is unconstitutional and infringes on individual's right to privacy' The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to all the States asking for their response to a batch of petitions seeking a declaration that the Aadhaar scheme being implemented is unconstitutional. A Bench comprising Justice B.S. Chauhan and Justice S.A. Bobde had already restrained the Centre from issuing Aadhaar cards to illegal immigrants, and had made it clear that benefits should...