-The Telegraph The Opposition members said the govt’s drum-beating over vaccination was premature as only 38% of the adult population had been fully inoculated so far The Opposition on Thursday tore into the Narendra Modi government during a Lok Sabha debate for the mishandling of the second Covid wave and asked what measures were being taken to tackle a possible third surge that could be fuelled by the omicron variant. “When will all...

-Down to Earth Judgement against Pepsico potato variety sets precedent for all seed and food and beverages corporations not to transgress farmers’ seed rights and freedoms in India, experts say The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Authority December 3, 2021 revoked a PVP (plant variety protection) certificate granted to PepsiCo India Holding (PIH) on a potato variety (FL-2027) on multiple grounds.  This means that Pepsico’s Intellectual Property Right (IPR) granted...

-Scroll.in Unplanned urbanisation, changing rainfall patterns and delayed preventive measures have created perfect conditions for mosquitoes to thrive. When Dr Shaukat Kalam visited Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh in August, he saw signs of a deadly dengue outbreak everywhere. “We found mosquito breeding in every second house, in the garbage, on the roadside, in articles where water was accumulating,” said the entomologist, an expert on insects, who currently works with the central government’s...

-The Hindu The company’s registration of the variety has been revoked by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights’ Authority. Two years after PepsiCo India provoked outrage by suing nine Gujarati farmers for allegedly infringing patent rights by growing its registered potato variety, the company’s registration has been revoked by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights’ Authority (PPV&FRA). “This judgement is a historic victory for the farmers of India. It...

-TheNewsMinute.com Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s advocacy of Zero Budget Natural Farming comes after the controversial farm laws were repealed. But further critical examination is crucial. In a televised address to the nation on the morning of November 19th, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought forgiveness from farmers and the entire nation “with all sincerity of purpose and from the bottom of my heart” for aggressively and undemocratically promoting three controversial farm laws. He...