-Down to Earth India’s plan to have electric scooters and bikes comprise 80% of its 2-wheeler market has hit a snag due to e-bikes bikes catching fire  Unsafe batteries and faulty pack design may have triggered fires in electric two-wheelers in India, the Centre for Fire Explosives and Environment Agency (CFEEA) reported last month. The centre was asked to probe into the circumstances of the fires, which have killed at least three persons...

The transport sector is important for the smooth functioning of an economy. The supply chains for various products and by-products (both domestically as well as internationally) can work efficiently only if the transportation of raw materials and inputs, and final goods and commodities takes place without disruption.   Due to economic growth, India’s annual CO2 (i.e., carbon dioxide) emission has expanded from 1.19 billion tonnes in 2005 to 2.44 billion tonnes...

-Down to Earth India had pressed for a concrete solution to the issue; but some other countries hardened their positions, resulting in a lack of consensus, according to a delegate The 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the World trade Organization (WTO) that began in Geneva June 12, ended June 16, with India’s demand to seek a permanent solution on public stockholdings (PSH) of food grains being pushed to MC13 in 2023. A member...

-Down to Earth Low returns and high risks from alternative crops among reasons past efforts failed, says report The Commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP) has recommended promotion of crop diversification, favouring oilseed crops amid the global inflation in oilseeds and vegetable oils prices. Global inflation creates a structural risk as vegetable oils account for about half of India’s agricultural import, subsequently raising the country’s agri-import bill, the commission wrote in its...

-Livemint.com The diet of an average Indian typically lacks essential nutritional food articles like fruits, vegetables, legumes The majority of Indians cannot afford a healthy meal and millions die every year due to diseases that are directly linked to poor diet, a recent survey showed. Noting that the diet of an average Indian typically lacks essential nutritional food articles like fruits, vegetables, legumes, etc., the report said, “a healthy meal becomes unaffordable...