-Hindustan Times London: With the global population expected to touch 9 billion by 2050, food from forests in India and elsewhere have potential to address needs of nutrition and food security at a time when the limits of boosting agricultural production are becoming increasingly clear. A new report produced by an international panel led by Bhaskar Vira, an expert based at the University of Cambridge, says that  despite impressive productivity increases, there...

-Hindustan Times The NDA government is confident of winning over some naysayers by keeping its doors open to adopting a few changes they may propose to the contentious land Bill that has been referred to a joint parliamentary panel, sources said. Their support will be crucial in the Rajya Sabha where the government lacks the numbers and will be equally important if a joint session of Parliament is called to clear the...

-The Hindu Amidst the din over the land acquisition Bill in Parliament, the farmer’s voice was missing. Everybody has an opinion on farmers these days. Be it politicians, policymakers, editors or economists. In fact, ever since the Parliament reconvened for the Budget session on April 20, the deteriorating condition of farmers has clearly dominated discussions. But even as the issue of agrarian crisis, farmer suicides (especially after Gajendra Singh’s suicide in a...

-The Indian Express Exceptions justified to ‘balance need for education, socio-economic reality’. While prohibiting employment of children below the age of 14, the Centre decided Wednesday to let them work in family enterprises and in the audio-visual entertainment industry, except the circus, provided their school education is not affected. The government justified the exceptions to strike “a balance between the need for education for a child and reality of the socio-economic condition...

-Tehelka The amendments also make it clear that children between 14 and 18 years will also not be allowed to work in hazardous industries. The Union Cabinet on 13 May cleared a change in the Child Labour Act which said children below 14 years of age can work in non-hazardous industries and too during holidays or after school hours. The changes in labour law provide for stricter punishment for employers for violation. While...