-Livemint.com With food and water in short supply, farmers in Bundelkhand are leaving cattle to fend for themselves Mahoba (Uttar Pradesh)/New Delhi: Some time in March, Dhan Prasad Anuragi led his pregnant cow Kajal a couple of miles outside his village and abandoned her. The 55-year-old farmer, who lives in Balchaur village of Mahoba district in Uttar Pradesh, says he had no choice. He couldn’t afford to feed the cow and his only hope...

-The Hindu Apiculture is one of the vocations thrown open to 30 Tribal farmers of Pachamalai TIRUCHI: The Integrated Tribal Development Programme being implemented by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in Pachamalai, about 90 km from here, has been ensuring economic uplift of poor landless labourers. A number of vocations have been introduced for their benefit as per their needs, interest and taste. Many tribal persons have responded positively....

-Theweekendleader.com/ Women's Feature Service Purulia (West Bengal): It was ironical that Purulia district often found itself on the West Bengal government's 'drought-hit' list when the average rainfall here is 1100mm-1500mm. The failure to conserve water as well as poor agricultural practices meant that despite back-breaking labour in the fields, farmers could only achieve six months' food sufficiency. Today, however, all that is changing thanks to a water management revolution led by ordinary village...

-The Times of India RAIPUR: "Should I repay loan with cheque of Rs 81 or go and commit suicide to rid of this disgusting cheque and the load of debt both?" asks a distressed farmer at a village in Surguja district has suffered loss of crop on his four acre of land amounting to Rs 1 lakh. Surguja district administration paid this farmer a relief compensation of Rs 81 via a cheque...

-The Indian Express There is a mounting employment crisis in India. The current growth model, built on large private investments, cannot address the problem. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan raised many hackles with his demand for affirmative action or job reservations for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates in the private sector. He suggested that “providing quota in private jobs will help cool down anger among SC and STs”, thereby stemming...