-The Hindu Business Line     Facing criticism for rising prices, the Modi Government has blamed public expenditure on schemes such as MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) for fuelling food inflation. Curiously, the BJP wants the job scheme to continue, with the focus mainly on agriculture. According to the agenda note circulated for Friday's Conference of State Food Ministers with the Centre, food inflation is caused by both demand and supply...

-Live Mint India is concerned that the ministerial decision on public stockholding for food security purposes is getting sidelined New Delhi: India has told the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it will not ratify the trade facilitation (TF) agreement for faster and more efficient customs procedures because there has been no progress on finding a permanent solution to the important issue of food subsidy caps, prompting developed nations to accuse India of...

-BBC India will provide four new vaccines free of cost as part of a programme to reduce child mortality, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said. They include one for rotavirus, which kills thousands of children a year. The disease causes dehydration and severe diarrhoea. It spreads via contaminated hands and surfaces, and is common in ASIa and Africa. The move brings to 13 the number of free vaccines provided against life threatening diseases. "The introduction...

-The United Nations Although drought is a "silent killer" in ASIa and the Pacific, access to scientific information and knowledge remain a challenge for many countries in the region, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for ASIa and the Pacific (ESCAP) said today at a milestone forum on drought monitoring and early warning. "Over the past three decades, it is estimated that droughts in the region have affected more than 1.3...

-The Business Standard Charge end-users and create more storage structures   Food and energy security are often discussed as goals of critical importance for the Union government. But water security is equally vital - and as gravely endangered. Water is as critical for some key industries, for hydropower production, for freight movement - not to mention for agriculture and households. The worry is that the current scenario, in which national water resources are...