-The Indian Express This is a record high since 1950 and is almost twice the rate at which the overall population grew. The number of Indians over the age of 60 has hit an all-time high, accounting for 8.6 per cent of the country’s 121-crore population, according to latest official figures. A report released by the Ministry of Statistics on Thursday said that the number of citizens over the age of 60...

-The Financial Express Rising dole hits both investment and productivity With around Rs 175,000-180,000 crore of annual expenditure on agriculture subsidies, the government probably feels it is doing a lot for the farmers and, come election time, will probably boast about it to get the rural vote. Yet, as an Icrier analysis at its ‘Supporting Indian farms the smart way’ workshop shows, not only is the rising subsidy not helping agriculture as...

-The Indian Express At a time of extreme rural distress, the Centre is violating the basic provisions of the employment guarantee act We are currently in the midst of an unprecedented early drought that is already affecting at least 10 states. Even if the met department’s optimistic prediction of a better-than-normal monsoon comes to pass, it will be at least two months before there is much relief in most rural areas...

-Livemint.com Automobile, construction industry, steel manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, breweries, and distilleries key sectors in Marathwada. Latur is major centre for production of pulses, oilseeds Latur, Maharashtra: Nilesh Thakkar, managing director of Maharashtra Biofertilizers India Pvt. Ltd (MBF), has virtually turned the Latur headquarters of India’s top organic fertilizer company into a campaign office. This is the office from where he runs Jalyukt Latur, a public campaign to revive the Manjra River nearby. And Thakkar...

-Livemint.com/ AP Hundreds of millions of people in at least 13 states are reeling from severe drought, a situation that is expected to worsen in the coming months Shahapur: Shantabai Babulkar’s day begins before dawn with a 5 kilometer trek across barren fields and dusty scrubland to fetch water from a distant well for her family. The two metal pots of muddy water that Babulkar, 58, balances on her head and a...