-The Economic Times The monsoon made a dream start this year. Bountiful rainfall in June has prepared the ground for bumper harvest and lower food inflation. But don't celebrate. Look beyond the immediate future and good monsoon this year may not really be good news. It has Merely delayed an agricultural crisis, which our complacent policymakers perhaps need to jolt them into action. With food demand rising in step with the growing...
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Monsanto’s climate-resilient crop patent claims rejected -Sanjay Vijayakumar
-The Economic Times CHENNAI: India's patent appeals board has denied Monsanto a patent for a genetically-engineered method of increasing climate resilience in plants. The decision is significant not only for Monsanto's loss of possible exclusivity in an increasingly important segment but also for the interpretation of India's home-grown clauses in patent law - these are unpopular with global companies - for the first time in the case of plants. The Intellectual Property...
More »When friends and foes are all the same-MK Venu
-The Hindu The hostility to the UPA's food security Bill from both its allies and the Opposition stems not from substantial objections to the draft law itself but from other political grouses The decision to bring an ordinance to provide food security to 67 per cent of the country's population was received with much hostility by the Opposition parties last week. The latter seemed surprised that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) could...
More »The employment story reflected in NSS data: Jobless growth reversed-Santosh Mehrotra
-The Economic Times The latest round of NSS - the 68th employment-unemployment round - brings good news for jobs. The data for 2011-12 shows that total employment in the economy has risen from 460.2 million in 2009-10 to 472.9 million in just two years. This is good news compared to the previous five-year period that saw an increase of only 2.5 million jobs over 2004-05 and 2009-10. Another piece of good news...
More »Food security bill has a sting in the tail for Maharashtra-Yogesh Pawar
-DNA The Centre may have used the ordinance mode to push through with the Food Security Bill in the hope that this will bring political dividends but many of its stipulations will lead to serious challenges, even in a Cong-NCP ruled state like Maharashtra. On one hand, the total food grain availability in the state will go up from 3.95 lakh tonnes to 4.25 lakh tonnes, but only 75% from existing...
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