-The Hindu   The regional consultation was organised by MSSRF in partnership with FAO Global experts will gather in Chennai for an Asia Pacific Conference for the International Year of Family Farming to emphasise the importance of diversified cropping patterns and integrated farming. "In the atmosphere of need to shift from food to nutrition security, the International Year of Family Farming provides a unique opportunity towards achieving this at the national and global level,"...

-The Financial Express   With newer varieties and improvement in yield, packaging and marketing, basmati-long hailed as the ‘king of rice'-is spreading its sweet aroma worldwide WALK INTO any supermarket today and the most eye-catching items will be in the section selling packaged rice. Rice, that humble, century-old staple of the Indian diet, has emerged from its traditional image-grains in an open gunny bag-to a slick new avatar. Today, rice, and basmati in...

-Economic and Political Weekly   This article analyses the water, sanitation and hygiene situation in slum households and compares it with the non-slum urban households using data from the 2011 Census. It argues for a shift from the mere water supply coverage to an emphasis on quality water distribution. Intermittent water supply coupled with poor sanitation contributes to higher health risks. Promoting point-of-use water treatment and basic hygiene practices on safe handling...

-The Hindu   Ninety per cent of Delhi agrees climate is changing, finds survey Ninety per cent of respondents in a recent survey in Delhi agreed that climate change is taking place, with 95 per cent saying that temperatures have increased and 64 per cent saying rainfall have reduced. Half of the respondents felt that air quality in the Capital has worsened, and 40 per cent are of the view that air pollution policies...

-The Telegraph   The European Union has banned the import of Indian mangoes as they failed to pass its stringent biosecurity regulations. Does India too need tougher biosecurity laws to protect its crops from pests and diseases? When a few pesky fruit flies tried to migrate from India, they ended up sparking a debate on the effectiveness of India's agricultural biosecurity laws and regulations. While some agriculture experts believe the laws are...