International health journal Lancet has accused the Government of India of “suppressing truth” about the presence of a drug-resistant bacteria in the public water system here by “threatening” and “abusing” its own Scientists. It also dubbed as “unfortunate” the government's denial of presence of such bacteria. Mark Toleman, one of the co-authors of the study that claimed to have detected the bacteria in the capital's waters, said it was named ‘New Delhi-beta-lactamase'...

35 members to include Azad, Krishna Tirath The first meeting of reconstituted Board likely to be held in May last week The Board advises Centre on steps to prevent misuse of sex-selection techniques Concerned over the sharp decline in the child sex ratio as reflected in the provisional Census figures, the Centre has reconstituted the Central Supervisory Board set up under the Pre-conception & Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 (PC & PNDT Act). Chaired...

The burgeoning movement against corruption set off by social activist Anna Hazare appears to be turning into an undemocratic battle for power without votes or elections, sections of Indian economists and sociologists have said. Tens of thousands of Indians across the country have pledged their alliance with the movement led by Hazare —from schoolchildren yanked by teachers out of classes to slogan-shouting municipal workers, from preachers to actors to lawyers. But some...

With the arrival of wheat in terminal markets, all is not well as the weather still hold the keys. The partly cloudy weather in two major wheat producing states, Punjab and Haryana, has the farmers worried. According to the Meteorology Department, Chandigarh — there are chances of light to moderate rainfall after a couple of days in few parts of Punjab and Haryana. Officials in Haryana Agriculture Department said rain was not...

The yellow rust disease that hit parts of the crucial wheat-producing States in northern India will hit production by about 5 lakh tonnes, informed sources have said. Although the Agriculture Ministry is said to have taken “timely action,” about 3 lakh hectares under wheat was hit by the yellow rust, a fungal disease that affects the leaves of the standing crop by forming yellow stripes that do not allow photosynthesis to...