-Outlook Bhubaneswar: Optimistic about progress of Posco's Rs 52,000 crore steel project, Odisha government today said it would sign a fresh tripartite agreement with the South Korean steel major as the validity of the original MoU lapsed three years ago. "The state government will sign a fresh agreement with Posco and Posco-India for setting up the proposed mega steel mill near Paradip," Steel and Mines minister R K Singh said while describing...

-The Telegraph Bhubaneswar: The state government today reacted sharply to the Centre's decision to reject Vedanta's plan to mine bauxite from the Niyamgiri hills in Kalahandi district. Mining of bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills was to be carried out by the state-owned Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and Sterlite Industries Limited, a Vedanta group subsidiary. Steel and mines minister Rajanikant Singh said: "It is really unfortunate. The UPA government is not serious about the...

-The Hindu Goa and Manipur may have knocked Kerala off the pedestal, but at 12 deaths among children less than one year of age per 1,000 live births, Kerala still has an enviably low infant mortality rate (IMR); it is far below India's average of 42. Yet, for years, the southern State has been unable to reduce the mortality rate further to a single-digit figure to become comparable with the...

-The Times of India MANGALORE: The India wing of human rights watchdog Amnesty International is seriously looking into the issue of undertrials' unwarranted long stay in prisons and is likely to set up a bail fund to secure their early release. Amnesty International secretary general Salil Shetty told TOI: "India has over 2.5 lakh undertrials, including 8,940 in Karnataka, as of December 2012. Of these, over 2,000 have been in jail for...

-Deccan Herald A novel technology-aided crop protection programme helps farmers in Raichur combat pests and diseases. M A Siraj reveals the secret behind the healthy produce in Raichur. Information Technology (IT) is no longer the exclusive preserve of the city folk. It is making subtle inroads into farming communities of Karnataka. Those who saw the elitist bias in IT would be better off making amends if they thought an e-future only a...