-Down to Earth Reforms in public distribution system and increase in number of people covered by it could be the reasons, say experts The latest data released by the government on household consumption patterns shows a decline in rice consumption and increase in consumption of wheat since 2004. In the meantime, consumption of rice and wheat made available through the public distribution system (PDS) has increased significantly, according to the survey report...

-Down to Earth India received a total of 85.8 mm of rain between June 1 and June 28 against the lowest ever 85.7 mm in 2009 A special release by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows that the June of 2014 is one of the driest Junes since record keeping began in 1901. According to this release, India received a total of 85.8 mm of rain between June 1 and June 28....

-Down to Earth As June ends, the monsoon, it turns out, is deficient by 40 per cent. Despite the forecast of its revival in July, it is a concern for India's rainfed areas that account for significant foodgrain production and also host the largest number of farmers in the country. More than 100 districts are officially "chronic drought-affected" areas. Why have we not been able to drought-proof them? On June 28 Prime...

-The Asian Age A recent study by the climate scientists from Stanford University in the Nature Climate Change Journal, claims that difficult times are ahead for Indians with increasing risk of drought and floods. The study has analysed precipitation data of India from 1951 to 2011. After reading the rainfall pattern of the last 16 years, the scientists have come to the conclusion that there has been a consistent drop in the...

-Reuters Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set in motion the first major revamp in decades of the archaic labour laws, part of a plan to revive the flagging economy, boost manufacturing and create millions of jobs. Successive governments have agreed labour reform is critical to absorb 200 million Indians reaching working age over the next two decades, but fears of an ugly union-led backlash and partisan politics have prevented changes to free...