NEW DELHI: Agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan on Tuesday came down heavily on proposals to import foodgrains to tide over the shortage due to the poor monsoon this year. He said that if only the government had taken adequate measures to modernise foodgrains storage systems, such an eventuality would not have arisen. “The importers lobby would always be there to make profit out of poverty. But the government needs to take...

A good reason why we must not rejoice the late resumption of monsoon rains is that much of the damage is already done and is irreparable. In over 60 percent of India’s agricultural belt, particularly in the North-Western parts, there will be no rabi harvest. Hence, late arrival of rains hardly mitigates the challenges of lower agricultural production, shrinking of rural purchasing power, high inflation of food prices and loss...

Many grassroots activists in Chhattisgarh are circulating a note among all democratic elements in the country to raise the demand of de-escalation of conflict between the security forces and the adivasis. They want lakhs of displaced adivasis of Dantewada be allowed to return to their villages and rebuild their ravaged agrarian and forest based economies. However, this time they also want an assurance from the state government on right to...

WASHINGTON, September 15, 2009–Developing countries can shift to lower-carbon paths while promoting development and reducing poverty, but this depends on financial and technical assistance from high-income countries, says a new World Bank report released today. High-income countries also need to act quickly to reduce their carbon footprints and boost development of alternative energy sources to help tackle the problem of climate change. World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change,...

India has recently witnessed the release of two important environment reports just before the Copenhagen Summit to be held in December, 2009. The National State of the Environment India (SoE) Report 2009 was launched on 11 August, 2009 by Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh. Another report titled United Nation’s World Economic and Social Survey (WESS) Report 2009 was released in early September, 2009 by Sunita Narain, Director, Centre...