-Hindustan Times Some global meteorological agencies have pointed to the rising risks of an El NINo weather pattern this year which can trigger a poor monsoon in India, potentially posing an immediate challenge for the Narendra Modi government. El NINo, literally “little boy” in Spanish, is a climate phenomenon marked by higher sea-surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. Its effects vary, from storms in California to drought in Australia and India. ...

-The Times of India AHMEDABAD: Kutch's unique breed of camels that can swim in seawater - identified as Kharai due to its habitat and eating habits - has been recognized as a separate camel breed by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) located in Karnal, Haryana. Kharai has now become the NINth breed of camels found in India. Now, Kutch has two identified breeds native to the region - the...

-The Indian Express Delhi’s slums house people whose work makes the lives of its better-off citizens easier but they themselves offer the worst of living conditions. Lakhs of people are denied the basic need for a toilet, breeding indignity and infections. The city’ urban shelter agency DUSIB’s report on how to make the city slum-free is a challenge for any government, especially one elected on a pro-poor agenda. The Indian Express...

-Business Standard When there is an enormous shortage of public hospitals, when state expenditure on health care is abysmally low by any international yardstick, tax money should be used to set up public hospitals Most relatively well-off Indians have got used to the idea of taking out medical insurance policies in order to take care of possible health episodes. It has been a rapidly growing business, doubling in four or five years....

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The monsoon is likely to beat the adverse impact of an El NINo and provide normal rains in the country this year, private weather forecaster Skymet said on Thursday, in the first prediction on the 2015 rainy season by an Indian agency. About a week before the India Meteorological Department releases its first long range forecast, Skymet said it expects 102% rains during the monsoon season...