-The Hindu   Obesity among children due to rampant consumption of junk food has reached epidemic proportions. With India already in the grip of this dangerous global trend, the government needs to remove its blinkers on the processed food industry One of the first declarations of the newly elected government in June was a proposal to ban unhealthy or junk food (defined as food high on fat, sugar and salt) in school...

-The Hindu   6.1 per cent households source their drinking water from untreated sources: report It's no secret that the Capital annually suffers from an alarming rise in the cases of cholera, acute diarrhoeal diseases and typhoid after the onset of monsoon. "Contaminated and unsafe water," according to doctors "is one of the most common disease-causing component this season." The Capital's 21.6 per cent households still have no access to safe drinking water within...

-The Times of India COIMBATORE: In light of the delayed southwest monsoon and severe rainfall deficit, agriculture experts have advised farmers to go in for short-term crops this year as they require less water. "We are telling them to move from their traditional crops and try short-term crops like pulses, millets, sunflower or maize," said K Velayutham, director of crop management at TNAU. Except for maize, the cycle for the other three...

-The Hindu The Centre has launched a major war against Japanese encephalitis which claims hundreds of young lives and causes high morbidity among children in several States across the country during monsoon. Within weeks of taking over, Union Health and Family welfare Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that his priority would be to ensure 100 per cent immunisation against the killer disease. Expressing extreme distress over the "runaway conquest of encephalitis," Dr Harsh...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: Farmers will be able to directly sell fruits and vegetables to consumers and wholesalers in Delhi as the city will have a 'kisan mandi' by September after the government changes the law that gives traders and middlemen a monopoly. Farmers and farmer producer organisations (FPOs) will be able meet part of Delhi's demand of 15,000 tonnes of vegetables a day after the Delhi Agriculture Produce Market (APMC)...