-Down to Earth Secretary for food processing denies any knowledge of Harsimrat Kaur Badal speaking to PepsiCo's Indra Nooyi to provide Processed food under nutrition scheme for school children Media reports about the government holding talks with the multi-national beverage company, PepsiCo, to provide Processed food under the Mid Day Meal scheme, has angered food rights and child rights activists. They are planning to organise protests against any such move. The reports followed...

-The Times of India In a sternly-worded letter dashed off to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Andhra Pradesh government has urged the institution to not underestimate the distressful conditions prevailing in the state for the past three years, which has forced as many as 6,792 farmers to commit suicide. The nine-page letter dated July 25, countering RBI's argument about AP reporting no cases of acute concern among farmers, has been...

-The Indian Express For tomato, however, the difference jumped from 4 per cent on July 8 to 100 per cent on August 8. A month after the central government brought onions and potatoes under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and empowered states to put stockholding limits on these vegetables to rein in hoarders, the difference between their wholesale and retail prices has not reduced. And in the case of other kitchen staples such...

-Down to Earth Civil society organisations claim private companies like Pepsi and Coca Cola are funding agencies partnering Indian health ministry The two-day South Asia conference on nutrition, currently on in Delhi, began on a controversial note on Wednesday. Some of the public health experts attending the conference under the aegis of Alliance Against Conflict of Interest (AACI) objected to the Indian health ministry hosting the event in collaboration with agencies funded...

-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...