-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 Bangalore is doing its bit for the desi cow as Harshini Vakkalanka discovers Bangalore: Desi cow ghee in earthen pots, fresh butter, sweetened hung curd, kalakand, basundi, rasamalai and rasagolla, kulfi, jamun rabadi, ladoo malai or motichoor ladoo; these may seem like the bane of every health-freak in the country not to mention diabetics but that's just the point. These desi cow milk sweets, made at Swarg Foods, a Bangalore-based organisation...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Admi Party's rejection of the "VIP culture" and its trappings and the public sentiment it has drawn, seems to have forced a rethink on use of red beacon. The central government is considering pruning the list of those eligible to use red beacon on their official vehicles, source said. However, there is also an opinion that the government shouldn't act in haste...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Delhi HC order empowering CAG to audit private telecom companies would not only kick off a massive audit exercise,but also ensure that CAG is empowered to audit PPPs (public-private partnerships), and similar engagements where private sector is engaged in some of the traditional government functions. "It is a landmark judgment, it will be quoted and discussed for years to come," a senior audit official said,...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: In the election year and with more complaints of "poor condition" of highways pouring in, the Road transport ministry wants finance ministry not to reduce the allocation for Road maintenance. The ministry has asked finance minister P Chidambaram to avoid reduction of "non-planned" expenditure since the allocation of Rs 2,000 crore for upkeep of highways is inadequate. Sources said that highways minister wrote a letter to...