-The Hindu   Coordinator of the Anti Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project movement, S.P. Udhayakumar, has decided to file defamation case against Union Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office, V. Narayanasamy, for alleging that the protesters were getting money from foreign countries to stop commissioning of the plant. Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, he said that the Congress was supporting the commissioning of the plant. “They are terming us anti-nationals only for...

-The Hindu   Union Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy has expressed firm optimism of finding a solution to the stalemate in the Kudankulam nuclear power plant by the end of next month. Addressing a press conference here, the Minister said the first round of talks between the expert committee appointed by the Centre and protesters' campaigning against the project on November 8 was “purposeful.” The local community and the protesting...

At BANCON (annual bankers' conference) 2011 in Chennai, financial institutions explored avenues for greater participation in agriculture and rural development. There are a few areas in need of additional attention and investment. Green Revolution technologies are scale-neutral but not resource-neutral. Inputs are needed for output; therefore market-purchased inputs become important in providing soil and plant healthcare for higher yields. Social scientists point out that small and marginal farmers will be excluded...

-The Times of India   One in every five Indian adults living in urban cities suffers not only from hypertension but also diabetes. In Maharashtra, more disturbingly, one in three persons is struck by the twin epidemic. These are some of the highlights of India's largest clinic-based survey to assess the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension. The findings of the study, called Screening India's Twin Epidemic (SITE), were announced on Monday in...

-PTI Making some headway towards resolution of the Kudankulam issue, anti-plant protesters on Tuesday decided to nominate two of their members in the expert committee to be set up by the Tamil Nadu government. The protesters, however, made it clear that they would not hold talks with the 15-member committee set up by the Centre till the work at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) was stopped. S.P. Udhayakumar, the movement’s leader, told...