-MoneyLife.in India, the world's second largest food producer, is witnessing growing distress and declining confidence in agriculture as most small and landless farmers, with less of a stake, are found to quit farming The recent unseasonal heavy rains, thunder and hailstorms originating from unusually intense western disturbances from the Mediterranean interacting with the south-easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal have ravaged the due-for-harvesting chana, lentils and wheat in Madhya Pradesh,...

-The Business Standard The dominant theme in the pre-election discourse is that misrule by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in its second term has led to sharply lower growth of gross domestic product (GDP), which Narendra Modi will reverse, the way he has made Gujarat shine. But the evidence on hand does not support this correlation between the quality of national political leadership and growth performance. If anything, there is...

-Deccan Herald Mangalore: As the fish production in the country is not proportionate to its demand, there is a need to boost fish production and develop strategies for bridging the yield gap in fisheries and aquaculture, said Dr C Vasudevappa, Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture and Horticultural Sciences, Shimoga. There is a need to enhance the production by tapping the water resources in the form of reservoirs and tanks. Speaking at...

-The New Indian Express Hyderabad: Candle in the wind is a disturbing, 52-minute documentary. Screened at Goethe Zentrum on Saturday evening, it was seen with rapt attention by a group of viewers who were students and working professionals. This 2012 venture, directed by Kavita Bahl and Nandan Saxena, highlights the farmer suicides escalating in Punjab where the widows are facing a major crisis, yet re-negotiating their spaces in a patriarchal society...

-The Hindu The Centre's rural employment guarantee scheme can be substantially improved, but it has undeniably helped Dalits, Adivasis and women find work In an era of growing globalisation and rising inequality, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) stands out as a unique attempt to provide a social safety net via a massive public works programme. The government as an employer of the last resort is an idea that...