-The Times of India MUMBAI: A glut of fresh produce has brought down vegetable prices all over the city. Prices of lady's finger and beans dropped to Rs 40 a kg from Rs 60 while that of cabbage dipped to Rs 20 from Rs 30 in the retail market. The biggest drop is seen in the price of tomatoes, which now sell at Rs 18 a kg, down from last week's Rs...

-Economic and Political Weekly The Indian weaver is dismissed in high places as an embarrassing anachronism, despite demand for his or her skills and products. In the new millennium, globalisation and a mindless acquiescence to imported notions of a good life threaten to take over, even as the West looks East for better concepts of sustainable living. Analysing today's crisis in the handloom sector, plagued by low-cost imitations from power looms,...

-Economic and Political Weekly A number of state agencies and non-governmental organisations have come forward to facilitate farmers/breeders to register their crop varieties and obtain plant variety certifi cates. But can these agencies bring forth a change in the mindset of the small farmers and seed savers' groups who view the current intellectual property regime with scepticism and continue to keep away from it? Shalini Bhutani (shalinibhutani@hotmail.com) is a legal researcher and...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Green vegetables are fast vanishing from the dining tables in Delhi's average household because of skyrocketing prices in the market. On an average, traders say, there has been a 10%-20% increase in wholesale prices of onions, potatoes, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables in the mandis, while in retail market the increase is anywhere between 50%-150%. Metha Ram Kriplani, president, Chamber of Azadpur Fruit and Vegetable Traders, said...

-Tehelka The NDA government’s move to open more Jan Aushadhi stores ignores the multitude of issues currently plaguing them Amidst the jostling crowd at the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in Shahdara, Delhi, is 68-year-old Suresh Chandra, holding his medical files on one hand and prescription letter on the other. Chandra, who is a lung disease patient, moves towards the Jan Aushadhi store, situated in the hospital premises. Chandra hopes that the government-run medical...