Ahmedabad : In a five-page concept note that will be further expanded and which is expected to guide the government policy during the 12th Five-Year Plan for the state, 10 senior academics have pointed out the areas of concern in rural parts of Gujarat. They have put forward a proposal before the state. The paper is a result of a meeting chaired by IRMA chairman Professor Y K Alagh on the...

Some of that legendary ‘Banarasi pan' could have begun its journey from Gujjari Mohanty's vineyard in Govindpur, Orissa. “I've sold our leaves in Benares [Varanasi] myself,” says her son Sanatan. As have many of their neighbours. “Our leaves are high-quality and greatly valued.” The betel leaf, though, is not just about pan. It is also valued for medicinal qualities as a digestive, for the antiseptic nature of its oil, and...

-PTI   JAITAPUR: CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat and CPI leader D Raja today assured all support to the local people in Jaitapur, who are protesting against the proposed 9,900-MW nuclear power plant. The two Left leaders visited the house of Tabrez Sayekar, resident of the Sakhrinate village, who was killed in police firing during the anti-Jaitapur protests in April this year. They offered condolences to the victim's parents and wife....

-PTI   India today sought help from Poland, which holds the European Union Presidency, for resolving trade obstacles for Indian agri exports to 27 EU countries. The issue was taken up at a meeting here between Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and visiting Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. "The EU can play an important role in resolving several of our market access issues with the EU including in respect of arbitrary SPS (Sanitary...

Plans for a nuclear plant generate protests Fear factor...     * Protests have rocked Srikakulam district, where NPCIL plans a 9,000 MW nuclear plant     * The plant will displace people from 12 nearby villages     * The project is estimated to cost Rs 1.2 lakh-crore     * NPCIL promises a “liberal” resettlement package. Activists counter the proposed plant is a Fukushima-like environment risk. *** Earlier this year, sustained protests brought nationwide attention to the 2,640...