-The Times of India With Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa giving the nod for the Kudankulam nuclear power plants, Russia said that it was going to send its scientists to the site on Tuesday to start commissioning work for the first unit of the reactors. Russian officials in India said that Moscow stood vindicated by Jayalalithaa's decision to back the reactors that couldn't be commissioned last year because of sudden protests...

Allocation of funds for the Science and technology sector in the Union Budget for 2012-13 appears far from adequate, considering that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had just over two months ago emphasised the need for a major increase in investment in research and development. Inaugurating the 99th annual session of the Indian Science Congress on January 3, he had lamented that the current spending on R&D was “too low and stagnant”...

The recent controversy over anti-Kuodan-kulam (nuclear plant) protests and the filing of cases against NGOs has four important aspects. Firstly, the justification or otherwise of anti-nuclear power protests. Secondly, there is the question of whether NGOs can use foreign funds for such protests. Thirdly, there is the more specific question of whether those who were involved in anti-Koodankulam actually used foreign funds? Last but not the least, there is the...

As the biotech industry takes heart from the prime minister’s remark, a fresh report shows India’s regulation and expertise on GM crops are sloppy BUOYED by the prime minister’s remark that NGOs were responsible for the moratorium on the release of GM or Bt brinjal, the biotech industry is stepping up its campaign to get it lifted along with “all constraints in the research and development work of biotech crops”. It...

-PTI Nearly 5,000 farmers from various parts of the country are taking part in the two-day Kishan Mela organised by Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) here from March 19, officials said today.  "It is expected that about 5,000 farmers will participate in this two-day Kissan mega event from March 19 here. Farmers, women farmers from the neighbouring states Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana are also expected to participate in...