-Live Mint Move comes in response to direction from Court asking government to create an environment regulator New Delhi: The environment ministry has recommended the creation of an independent regulator that will evaluate projects seeking environment clearances. The approval itself will be granted by the ministry. The ministry's move comes in response to a direction from the Supreme Court on 6 January asking the government to create an environment regulator at the national...

-Down to Earth Demand farm income commission; urge political parties to make it an election issue A number of farmers' organisations got together on Thursday to demand a minimum living income equivalent to that of agricultural scientists for all farm households in the country and asked political parties to make it a part of their poll manifesto. Citing NSSO findings, they said the average monthly income of farm households in the country...

-The Hindu Funds from Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan are pumped into ‘schools' in Bastar that don't exist On the day the Chhattisgarh government issued a statement emphasising how the Prime Minister's adviser, T.K.A. Nair, praised the efforts to educate children, 32 students of Koynapada primary school in Darbha block in Bastar district did not attend school. In fact, they could not as the school does not exist. An official confirmed that the disappearance...

-Down to Earth The National AgroForestry Policy 2014 can substantially reduce poverty in rural India AFTER becoming the first country in the world to frame an agroForestry policy, India has gone ahead and allocated Rs 444 crore to promote agroForestry in the country. The National AgroForestry Policy 2014, announced on February 10, has the potential to substantially reduce poverty in rural India and revive agroForestry industry. AgroForestry is a farming practice in which...

As the challenge of global warming looms large, the importance of climate resilient agriculture (CRA) gets recognized by both scientific and farming communities. Countries like India are expected to be intensely affected by climate change since majority of the population is primarily dependent on agriculture for livelihood. CRA, encompassing adaptation and mitigation strategies and the effective use of biodiversity at all levels-genes, species and ecosystems-should, therefore, be India's response towards...