-The United Nations   The new head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has begun work, pledging today to increase the agency’s support to poor countries experiencing prolonged food crises. “Ending hunger requires the commitment of everyone: neither FAO nor any other agency or government will win this war alone,” said Director-General José Graziano da Silva at a press conference in Rome, where the agency’s headquarters are located. He Stressed...

-The Economic Times The government has told the Supreme Court that its flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MNREGA) is a social security safeguard and not an alternative employment avenue. Challenging the Karanataka High Court ruling on wages under the MGNREGA, the Centre has said that its flagship programme is a "supplement" and not a "replacement" for existing employment opportunities. Though meant as a dole, the MNREGA programme has more...

-The Asian Age   Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s honouring of the Koraput tribals at the 99th Indian Science Congress for their conservation of climate resilient rice and pulses has helped place this backward community in the forefront of the world map. Ascribing their practices as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage system ( GIAHS), the Prime Minister honoured the tribals, Raita Muduli and Chandra Pradhan, for preserving the traditional agricultural practices of this region. This...

-IANS   Breaking the stereotypes associated with madrassas, a 50-year-old Islamic seminary here teaches subjects like personality development and home science, runs an elaborate teacher training programme, has a higher girl enrolment ratio and has students who are no less active on social networking websites than their counterparts in the metros. Welcome to Jamiatul Falah, a madrassa in Bilariyaganj town of Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh's district that has kept pace with modern education. The...

Research should find ‘frugal' solutions to food, energy problems Expressing concern that the expenditure on research and development in India has been “too low and stagnant,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday called upon industry to increase its contribution and Stressed the need for enhanced public-private partnership (PPP) in science and technology. “It is in some way ironic that GE [General Electric] and Motorola have created world-class technology hubs in India, while...