-The Financial Express Controlling food inflation seems to have pre-occupied the attention of the Modi government, at least for now, and it has succeeded in minimising the damage despite a poor Monsoon. The Modi government had to hit the ground running as far as food and agriculture is concerned. With delayed and deficient rains in June and the spectre of El Nino, drought was looming large. Food inflation was stubbornly stuck at...

-The Hindu Orders 50 percent of works taken up must only be for water conservation Union Minister for Rural Development Nitin Gadkari has "ordered sweeping changes" in the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), mandating that 50 per cent of all the works that are taken up at the district-level under the scheme should only be for water conservation, according to an official statement released here. The Minister has taken...

-PTI New Delhi: With sowing of kharif crops almost completed, the total area planted to all summer crops including rice and pulses remains lower at 96.62 million hectare from the year-ago due to poor Monsoon. While sowing of pulses, oilseeds, coarse cereals, cotton, sugarcane and jute has completed, the planting of rice would end by next month. As per data released by the Agriculture Ministry, the total area under all kharif crops stands...

-NDTV Tumkur (Karnataka): At a goshala or shelter for cows run by a private trust in Southern Karnataka's Tumkur district, its caretaker Suresh has an unenviable job. He has been instructed to serve only two portions of fodder, not the requisite meal of at least 3-5 kilograms of dry grass per day. "The smaller ones fight among themselves and they scream. Sometimes there is not enough water. I feel sad leaving...

-Live Mint Half of the country by area has received deficient or scanty rainfall in the south-west Monsoon season so far this year New Delhi: Half of the country by area has received deficient or scanty rainfall in the south-west Monsoon season so far this year, and some experts are veering around to the view that 2014 will be India's first drought year since 2009. Overall, rainfall has fallen 18-20% short of...