-BBC At least 60 people died in a recent outbreak of viral encephalitis in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, a top health official has said. Doctors say patients come from seven affected districts in northern Bengal. The disease usually occurs during the monsoon season across northern India and West Bengal is normally not among the worst-affected states. Encephalitis causes brain inflammation and can result in brain damage. Symptoms include headaches and fever. West...

-Press Information Bureau/ Ministry of Women and Child Development The Government has approved construction of 2 lakh Anganwadi Centre Buildings during the 12th Plan under the programme of ‘Reconstructing and Restructuring ICDS'. The phasing of construction is given below:-  2012-13 2013-14 2014-15  2015-16 2016-17 2017-18  0  20000  50000  60000  70000  200000 The Units will be constructed at the rate of Rs. 4.5 lakhs per unit in the cost sharing ratio of 75:25 between Centre and States against the North Eastern Region...

-The Tribune Faridkot (Punjab): The Union Budget neglecting the organic farmers in Punjab and allocating Rs 100 crore for its development in the North Eastern States has left many organic farmers in the state despondent. To save fast-depleting table of ground water and avoid excessive use of pesticides and chemicals in agriculture in Punjab, the organic farmers in the state were expecting subsidy on the pattern of chemical based agriculture to give...

-The Business Standard Slew of monetary allocations show no clear shift in strategy Finance Minister Arun Jaitley peppered his long speech with announcements of 28 schemes and projects of Rs 100 crore each. This suggests the National Democratic Alliance had grafted a social and agriculture agenda different from the United Progressive Alliance's.   However, it was a relatively low-cost trick to dazzle and distract in a year when fiscal constraints remain as worrisome. The...

-Down to Earth Latest state of forests report shows increase of green cover by 5,871 sq km; most of the increase is owing to plantations India's green cover is increasing, but this increase is taking place mostly outside the traditional boundaries of the forests, says the latest forest survey findings. As per the State of Forests Report (SFR) 2013, released by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on July 8,...