-The Indian Express   Five years on, we need to examine our xenophobic reactions and paranoia of the intrusive state. Five years and Rs 4,000 crore ($800mn) later, there is a pregnant pause. "Are you who you claim you are?" is a question that more than 60 crore Indian residents can now answer with integrity. Twenty-three out of the 36 states and Union territories of India can now verify the authenticity of more...

-The Business Standard   The meeting has been called to discuss the preparedness of the states to handle less rainfall or drought like situations  Mumbai: The Ministry of Agriculture has called an urgent meeting of 18 states in the wake of delayed rains next week and prepare state specific contingency plan for crops. According to official sources, the meeting has been called to discuss the preparedness of the states to handle less rainfall or drought...

-IANS   Bangalore: A study by an international team using satellite and ground-based instruments has shown that crop residue burning, a common practice in northern India and particularly in Punjab, is contributing to atmospheric pollution over the entire Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) that may have climate and health implications. "Every year, during the post-monsoon season (October-November), extensive agricultural crop residue burning takes place mainly in the northwestern Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, and western...

-NDTV   Nearly a third of adults and a quarter of children today are overweight, according to a report by the Global Burden of Disease Study published in The Lancet medical journal. No country has turned the tide of obesity since 1980. Traditionally associated with an affluent lifestyle, the problem is expanding worldwide, with more than 62 percent of overweight people now in developing nations, said the report.  There are some 2.1 billion...

-The New Indian Express   NEW DELHI: The good times may be over for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in ‘mysterious' sectors like participatory democracy, advocacy, action research, innovative communication, inclusiveness etc. Sources said Foreigners Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), is tightening the noose around such NGOs and a wide ranging reform is on the top of its agenda. "Activities of NGOs organising workshops on the regulatory frameworks, developing communication strategies, people...