In India, of the total cultivated area of around 140.30 million hectares only 60.86 million is irrigated and remaining 79.44 million hectares is rain-fed. Rain-fed crops account for 48 percent area under food crops and 68 percent of the area under non-food crops. Irrigated land accounts for nearly 55 percent of food production while rain-fed contributes just about 45 percent. Rain-fed farming is risk prone and is characterized by low...

On Tuesday, readers awoke to the Capital’s night of horror. A young girl, Asha, and her lover, Yogesh, were tortured to death by her family members inside her home, even as neighbours chose to shut out the victims’ screams. Those who tried to intervene were brushed off by family members claiming it was a ‘private matter’. This gruesome crime, committed in the name of ‘family honour’, raises three important questions. First,...

The Delhi High Court today dismissed a petition seeking amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA) in order to prohibit marriages in the same clan (gotra). A vacation bench of Justices S N Dhingra and A K Pathak warned that a heavy cost would be imposed on the petitioner, Naresh Kadyan, for wasting the time of the court prompting him to withdraw his plea. "You don't know what gotra is....

In the absence of whole-hearted steps to implement the provisions effectively, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 is falling short of expectations.  The Delhi High Court ruled recently that a woman can also be held liable under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005. This the court did on the basis of the interpretation that ‘relatives' included not only male but also female members of...

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL seeking an amendment in the Hindu marriage Act to ban marriages within the same gotra (sub caste). The apex court asked the petitioner to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court for the same. Demanding amendment in the Hindu Marriage Act to prevent weddings within the same 'gotra' (sub caste), a delegation of Khap Panchayats had met Haryana CM Bhupinder...