-Down to Earth Eligibility threshold for FPOs should be reduced or support provided to meet the criteria, experts feel Farmer producer organisations (FPO) figure prominently in government policies and the ambitious plan to double farmers’ income by 2022. But funds remain elusive for these bodies, according to a recent analysis.  Just 1-5 per cent of FPOs have received funding under central government schemes introduced to promote them in the last seven years, the...

-The Telegraph UGC asks varsities to amend their rules to bring them in sync with the new system A group of university teachers and students on Friday criticised the National Education Policy as a document designed to “corporatise” education through the “excessive” use of online content, saying it would take higher education beyond the reach of the poor and marginalised. At a news conference, Delhi University teacher Nandita Narain highlighted NEP initiatives such...

-The Hindu The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday issued notices to the Centre and Nagaland Government over the killing of civilians by security forces in Mon district on December 4. The NHRC took suo motu cognisance of media reports and issued notices to the Union Defence Secretary, Union Home Secretary, Nagaland Chief Secretary and Nagaland Director General of Police, calling for a detailed report on the incident within six weeks. “The...

-The Hindu The company’s registration of the variety has been revoked by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights’ Authority. Two years after PepsiCo India provoked outrage by suing nine Gujarati farmers for allegedly infringing patent rights by growing its registered potato variety, the company’s registration has been revoked by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights’ Authority (PPV&FRA). “This judgement is a historic victory for the farmers of India. It...

-Down to Earth Judgement against Pepsico potato variety sets precedent for all seed and food and beverages corporations not to transgress farmers’ seed rights and freedoms in India, experts say The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Authority December 3, 2021 revoked a PVP (plant variety protection) certificate granted to PepsiCo India Holding (PIH) on a potato variety (FL-2027) on multiple grounds.  This means that Pepsico’s Intellectual Property Right (IPR) granted...