-India Today Once the government gives final approval, it will be another three years before farmers can begin commercial cultivation using GM mustard seeds Approval for the environmental release of genetically modified (GM) mustard—Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11)—across India has not come a day too soon. The GM crops regulator, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), had cleared GM mustard in 2017 but the Indian government raised questions and asked for more studies,...

-Newsclick.in The initiatives by Odisha and Rajasthan Governments have prompted political leaders from other states to raise demands for similar action from their state governments. Kolkata: The recent decisions by two state governments – Odisha and Rajasthan – abolishing contractual engagement of people for government jobs have come as a morale booster for trade unions. The unions have been agitating for several years demanding contract workers' regularisation. The General Administration and Public...

-Down to Earth The employment scheme worked as a lifeline for rural Indian households during the COVID-19 pandemic Lack of awareness and complexity of application process hold women back from applying for work under the central government’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), according to a recent report. Women beneficiaries struggled to enrol in the scheme, the report suggested. Most of them found enrolling for work a complex and time-consuming process....

-ThePrint.in Free movement of unproductive cattle prone to infections has proven to be a severe challenge in restricting the viral disease and contributed most to mortality load, say experts. New Delhi: Over the past few years, the rising population of stray cattle has been a menace to farmers. In several states in northern India, farmers regularly guard their fields at night and spend thousands on fencing to protect their crops. But the impact...

-Down to Earth Change is taking place in the way the Centre and state governments look at pastoralism; the belief that livestock management is done better in stable conditions is changing The opening up of India’s first camel dairy at Nakhatrana taluka in Gujarat’s Kutch district in 2018 helped Mura Mangal resume pastoralism. “In 2006, we had some goats, but it was getting difficult to earn enough money. So I took up a...