-The Times of India   HAZARIBAG: Bikram Kumar Das, deputy general manager, Nabard in Ranchi said unless banks provide loans to women self help groups formed in 18 of the 24 districts in the state, the purpose to make them self reliant will be defeated. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, he said despite Nabard providing funds through NGOs, banks are not sanctioning loans to the self help groups. Although these women's...

-The Hindustan Times   Once the remaining two phases of India's seemingly never-ending elections are done and dusted and the results are declared, for whoever it might be that wins and gets to form the government, the first thing on the agenda should be to get down on their knees and pray to the rain gods and wish that the monsoon doesn't disappoint this year - that it comes on time and...

-Outlook     Yavatmal: Hundreds widows of farmers and hailstorm hit farmers staged a protest here today, to protest against the apathy of the Maharashtra state government and its bureaucrats towards their plight. The protestors demanded fresh crop loans, a higher minimum support price at the rate of Rs 6500 per quintal, disbursement of relief aid to all farmers, family pension as well as food security to all widows of farmers and families of...

-ANI   Aurangabad: Absence of proper rainfall has risked the farmlands of Aurangabad district in Maharashtra and lack of subsequent effective government intervention is leaving farmers with no option but suicide. According to climate report of researchers there are high chances of climatic conditions similar to El Nino effect to occur in 14 districts in Maharashtra. Farmers of Marathwada region in Aurangabad have been experiencing difficult times for the last three years. The...

-Down to Earth   People of West Bengal's Sunderbans region are setting up grain banks to safeguard against food crisis Subedan Bibi's mud hut is a few metres from the banks of the Bakchara river, a distributary of the Hugli in Sunderbans region of South 24 Parganas. When the river is in spate she and most others of Goyadham village move to the main market in the nearby block. "Floods and storms destroy...