-The Hindu “Orders have been issued to five public institutions including IIT-Madras, IIT-Kharagpur, DU and University of Hyderabad, declaring them as IoEs,” Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said. New Delhi: The Human Resource Development Ministry has awarded the status of Institute of Eminence to the IIT-Madras, the IIT-Kharagpur, Delhi University, Benares Hindu University and the University of Hyderabad, said an official statement. Four private universities — the Vellore Institute of Technology, Amrita...

-Livemint.com * Average income of farm suicide families was just Rs.3,523 per month in 2016-17, below Rs.4,561 estimated by NSSO: study * The study found that 92% of farm suicide families were not enrolled under the centre’s flagship crop insurance scheme NEW DELHI: Agricultural households are trying to cope with the suicide of an earning member of the family by borrowing more, skimping on food and even taking recourse to bonded labour, a...

-Livemint.com * The then TDP government had invited tenders for infrastructure development even before the World Bank loan details were finalized, said an official with the state government, requesting anonymity * According to the official, the team found numerous irregularities Hyderabad: Days after the World Bank (WB) announced backing out of Amaravati capital city project, by withdrawing its $300 million funding, officials from the Andhra Pradesh government said rampant corruption besides flouting of...

-TheWire.in Scientists have found that, compared to rice, alternative grains experienced smaller declines in yield under climate extremes. However, there is a catch. Alternative grains like millets and sorghum could help India cope better with the impact of global heating on agriculture and variations in supply than continuing to rely on rice and wheat alone. This is the heartening conclusion of a new study, but it also cautions that the cultivation area...

-The Hindu With growing environmental distress, policymakers cannot shy away from adopting best eco-management practices In a report last year, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) called the Chennai floods of 2015 a “man made disaster”, a pointer to how the encroachment of lakes and river floodplains has driven India’s sixth largest city to this ineluctable situation. The Chennai floods are a symbol of consistent human failings and poor urban...