-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who had demanded scrapping of the MGNREGA last year, has now turned to the same law for helping her tide over a crisis. With hailstorms causing massive devastation of crops in 26 of the total 33 districts in early March - and Congress president Sonia Gandhi coming down to join protests against the state administration - among the multiple relief packages...

-The Times of India AURANGABAD: Over 350 like-minded organizations are set to launch a nation-wide agitation from Monday to protest against the contentious Land Acquisition Bill. Social activist Medha Patkar made the announcement in the city while addressing a gathering of farmers. She said organizations of farmers, traders and fishermen would stage demonstration in different parts of the country and mount pressure on the Union government to stop it from going...

-Economic and Political Weekly While the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act 2001 is a progressive piece of legislation that recognises farmers' rights to seed, it demands payment of an annual maintenance fee by the farmers to protect the varieties which they have been cultivating and conserving for years, only because these varieties have been brought under legal protection through national legislation. Parameswaran Prajeesh (prajeesh@mssrf.res.in) is a researcher with the...

-The Hindu For any skill development effort to succeed, markets and industry need to play a large role in determining courses, curriculum and relevance The Union Budget 2015 paved way for the launch of a much-awaited National Skills Mission to complement Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ‘Skill India' and ‘Make in India' exhortations. However, much work needs to be done on the ground for the government to prove that this step is a...

-Business Standard Assocham-Skymet report, however, says untimely rain likely to reappear in north India in 5-6 weeks India's southwest monsoon, which accounts for almost 80 per cent of the country's total precipitation, is expected to be normal this year, predicts a joint study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry and private weather forecaster Skymet. However, there would be pockets where the showers are expected to be deficient. These include Himachal Pradesh,...