-The Hindu Business Line New Delhi: A section of agricultural scientists, activists and farmer Leaders has alleged that there is an undesirable attempt to align India’s Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPR&FRA) 2001 with the International Union for the Protection of Plant Varieties (UPOV), even though the country has no legal obligation to do so. In a letter written to Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh and PPR&FR Authority Chairperson KV...
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On the political fringes -Manish K Jha & Ajeet Kumar Pankaj
-The Hindu The exclusion of migrants from the electoral process reveals the caste- and class-driven nature of mainstream politics While political commentators have been busy analysing voter preferences in the general election 2019, one segment, namely migrants, continues to be overlooked. The Election Commission of India (EC), on February 21, clarified that NRI voters cannot cast votes online, and that an NRI who holds an Indian passport can vote in his/her hometown after...
More »How a rural distress helpline in Telangana is preventing farmer suicides -Priyanka Richi
-TheNewsMinute.com Set up in 2017, Kisan Mitra provides counselling to distressed farmers and acts as a bridge between them and the government. “It was during the 2018 floods that we got a call from a farmer in Adilabad. The caller didn’t need any help for himself but said that his neighbour has been sitting in a corner of his field since morning with a bottle of pesticide in his hand. The...
More »Environment Minister rejects global reports claiming 1.2 million deaths in India due to pollution
-PTI “Pollution does affect health, but to create such a panicky situation and say millions of people are dying, I do not agree with that” New Delhi: Union minister Harsh Vardhan has discredited the recent global reports claiming over one million deaths in India due to air pollution, saying such studies are only aimed at “causing panic”. The Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Chandni...
More »Steering away from diesel: What is the trend against this heavy polluter fuel in India? -G Ananthakrishnan
-The Hindu Leading passenger vehicle markets such as the European Union are opting for other fuels. The story so far: On April 25, Maruti Suzuki, India’s top carmaker, announced that it would phase out production of diesel models from April 1, 2020, when stricter Bharat Stage VI emission standards come into force. What does this mean for the auto industry? Why did Maruti take this decision? Explaining its rationale, the Leading passenger vehicle manufacturer...
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