-The Hindu 11 lakh new cases and 5 lakh deaths reported every year in the country Vellore: The Union Cabinet has sanctioned the setting up of 71 stand-alone cancer care institutes throughout India at a cost of Rs.6,650 crores in order to tackle the problem posed by the increasing incidence of cancer and the increasing deaths due to cancer in the country, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad...

-The Hindu It will dispense 36 varieties of seeds COIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu Agricultural University is installing a seed vending machine at the entrance of the Botanical Garden on Marudhamalai Road to dispense small quantities of seeds for roof and kitchen gardening purposes. To be inaugurated on January 11 by Agriculture Minister S. Damodaran, the machine will dispense 36 varieties of seeds, both vegetable and flower, at the touch of a button. It contains...

-The Hindu Adoption of high production technology and cultivation of high yielding varieties have put tremendous pressure on soil nutrient reserve in the country leading to a great imbalance in nutrient status in the soil. A large chunk of soil in the country has been rendered deficient in micronutrients, which is one of the major reasons that crops have stopped responding to fertilizers, according to Dr. M Anandaraj, Director of Indian Institute...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: A year after the Supreme Court pulled up 19 states, including Bengal, that did not have a commission to protect children's rights and directed them to set up one, most of these panels exist only on paper. All states/Union territories are required to have a child rights commission under Section 17 of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. Twenty-three states now have the panels -...

-Live Mint India needs to move away from wild swings in making environment policies The Western Ghats, spread over six states in western and southern India, cover an area of approximately 165,000 sq. km. They are home to a unique ecosystem in the country that is under threat from human activities. Nearly 59% of this area has been exploited: habitation, plantation or agriculture. Only 41% of the area is a natural...