-Newsclick.in “Our population today is around 136 crore. Where will you get food grains for them through zero budget farming? This is sheer madness.” There is an inherent seductive charm to the term zero budget natural farming, for it makes the arduous occupation of agriculture appear beguilingly simple, an economic proposition without any risk or even requirement of capital. Coined by the Vidarbha-based farmer, Subhash Palekar, who was bestowed with the Padma...

-Livemint.com * FM vows to invest widely in agriculture infrastructure, but offers little to revive rural income and demand * In terms of new schemes, the budget announced Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana for the fisheries sector and another to boost traditional industries In March 2018, Rakesh Sangwan, 27, a farmer in Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri, stopped watering his tomato plants. The crop slowly withered away and, subsequently, it was mowed down by a...

-Scroll.in/ India Spend Women earn between Rs 70 and Rs 80 for every Rs 100 that men earn. India’s workforce has fewer women than it did six years ago: no more than 18% in rural areas are employed, compared to 25% in 2011-’12 and 14% in urban areas from 15% in 2011-’12. However, in urban areas, the percentage of women in salaried jobs has increased from 35.6% in 2004 to 52.1% in...

-The Hindu Business Line India’s manufacturing needs higher investment in education and R&D to become self-reliant and technologically competent The share of manufacturing in India’s GDP has stagnated at 16 per cent since 1991, despite economic reforms. No country ever became a manufacturing force without (a) a design capability; and (b) an institutional system that incentivises and sustains innovations. India needs a system to develop human and technical capabilities at both the...

-The Hindu After repacking, the stock was supposed to be transported to Kakinada, say vigilance officials VISAKHAPATNAM: Acting on reliable information about the alleged diversion of rice provided by the government for mid-day meal scheme, a team of officials from the vigilance and enforcement, and civil supplies departments conducted a surprise check on the ISKCON premises at Sagar Nagar in the city on Monday night and seized 396 bags of rice weighing...