-The Indian Express Swiss voted against the idea of a Universal Basic Income. But the debate continues We in India tend to associate Switzerland with fresh-faced girls in dirndls on a beautiful hillside, or with a cabal of silent bankers, but it is in fact a much more interesting country than those clichés might imply. For one, they decide on policy by referendums — if a hundred thousand Swiss sign up to...

Situation alarming: More than one-third population hit by drought   The country is facing severe drought for the second consecutive year. Conservative estimates from official sources show that over a quarter of rural habitations are facing drinking water scarcity. Although both India Meteorological Department and Skymet have predicted a more than normal rainfall during June-September, 2016, the water storage available in 91 major reservoirs of the country has declined from 22 percent...

-The Hindu Business Line Accumulated stocks of skimmed milk powder insulate consumers from price hike Ahmedabad/ Bengaluru: The drought and heat wave across many States has impacted milk production, thereby affecting procurement by dairy co-operatives and private players. In the key milk-producing States of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, the procurement of liquid milk has dropped 20-50 per cent, which is more than the usual seasonal decline witnessed during summer. Experts blamed it...

-The Hindu It is the Supreme Court and not Parliament that has found time to pay attention to serious issues of drought relief and mitigation for hundreds of millions of Indians Irony. This one word captures our response to the ongoing nationwide drought in more ways than one. We have woken up to the reality of drought a full six months after the end of monsoon. After waking up, we focus on...

-TheHansIndia.com * Excessive use of chemical fertilisers on vegetables and fruits is causing cancer to the consumers * 4,500 farmers are cultivatingin 15,000 acres in organic zones of 10 clusters in 8 mandals Raptadu (Anantapur): The district is in for a major organic revolution with the department of Agriculture taking the lead and initiative to wean away farmers from excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides and the disastrous effects of chemical residues on...