-Hindustan Times Of the affected states are also those announced farm loan waivers just months ago to Bail out beleaguered farming community. With the southwest monsoon season about to end in less than three weeks’ time, the government’s drought warning system predicts there could be a drought in 225 districts across “17 agriculturally important states of India,” putting further strain on distressed agriculture sector. According to the government’s National Agriculture and Drought...

-Livemint.com Unlike the dhoti-clad, topi-wearing quintessential ‘kisan’, the new Indian farmer is vocal and tech-savvy New Delhi: In the winter of 1988 when the feisty farmer leader from Uttar Pradesh, Mahendra Singh Tikait, laid siege to Delhi with thousands of cultivators and their cattle literally creating a mess of the boat club lawns, agriculture’s share in India’s gross domestic product (GDP) was about 30%. About three decades later, the farm sector’s share in...

-Hindustan Times The judge said present-day laws provide more stringent punishment to perpetrators of cattle-related crimes than errant drivers who take human lives. New Delhi: When a Delhi judge sentenced the son of a Haryana-based industrialist to two years’ imprisonment on Saturday for mowing down a motorcyclist with his luxury car in 2008, he couldn’t help but observe how present-day laws provide more stringent punishment to perpetrators of cattle-related crimes than errant...

-Livemint.com The draft National Policy for Women, 2017 approved by the group of ministers would ensure food, shelter, health and free education for women and children of poor families New Delhi: The draft National Policy for Women, 2017 approved by the group of ministers on Tuesday would ensure food, shelter, health and free education for women and children of poor families. “The nutritious and safe food through public distribution system (PDS) for households...

-Hindustan Times There are more than 400 posts of high court judges that lie vacant across the country. The Central government is believed to be the country’s biggest litigator, being a party in about half of the 27 million pending cases. The Calcutta high court on Thursday warned the Narendra Modi government of “appropriate action” if appointments of judges were not made at the earliest. The country’s oldest high court has a...