-The Shillong Times   The Tripura government has targeted to achieve Paddy cultivation in more than 17,000 hectares of hill land under improvised Jhuming (shifting cultivation) method in 2011-12. State’s Agriculture Minister Aghore Debbarma said here on Wednesday that, the traditional method of Jhum (Slash and burn) had been banned in the state few years ago and the government had introduced various rehabilitation packages for the hardcore Jhumias. ”Despite sincere effort and initiative for...

-The Hindu   A 14-year-old Adivasi boy died in firing allegedly by CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) commandos of the Central Reserve Police Force at Dolamara in Assam's Karbi Anglong district on Thursday morning. Irate villagers attacked the Dolamara police station, demanding stern action against those responsible for the death of Boga Garh. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has ordered a magisterial probe and announced an ex gratia of Rs. 3 lakh to...

Five States did manage a significant decline in the average number of farm suicides between 2003 and 2010. However, more States have reported increases over the same period. The television story was genuine and sensitive. At least 90 farmers, it said, had committed suicide in two months in Andhra Pradesh. These were cotton growers. Actually, last year, Andhra farmers killed themselves at the rate of 210 each month on average, according...

-The Hindu   Scanty rainfall coupled with long dry spells plays havoc A large deficit in rainfall coupled with long dry spells have played havoc with farmers in Ranga Reddy district this year as the kharif as well as the rabi crop have been badly-affected. Rain-fed crops like cotton, maize, Paddy and red gram have borne the brunt of unfavourable seasonal conditions. Farmers who cultivated rain-fed crops are in deep distress as their investments...

The audience, organisers, and fightersknow that sham wrestling is not to betaken seriously. But the World Economic Forum takes itself seriously. The comforting thing about the sham wrestling ‘championships' on television is that everybody knows they are a farce. Steroid-stuffed Cro-Magnons stomp the living daylights out of painkiller-primed Neanderthals. Good, unclean fun. The results are safely predictable. You should expect the 600-pound gorilla to overwhelm the 900-pound one in a staggering...