-Scroll.in But the district health administration refutes claims of a 'mystery virus'. The causes of death were different in each case, they say. Just 10 minutes of rain in Sarfabad village in Noida township caused floods in its bylanes. Children who decided that it was time to play wading in the blackish sewage water. The roads are lined with mounds of garbage. On Friday, civic authorities had removed silt from the gutters...

-Outlook A crusader for Dalit rights, Bezwada Wilson, on reclaiming for the Dalits a life of human dignity in a structurally apathetic society. On many occasions, the Ramon Magsaysay Award has been bestowed on individuals of various ilks and ideological persuasions. For the first time, perhaps, it speaks to an issue that touches the lives of millions of people because an award for Bezwada Wilson (50) is an international acknowledgement of the...

-MoneyControl.com Uttar Pradesh is the leader in sugarcane farming and sugar and the largest contributor to the state economy. But, both these statuses may soon be lost owing to the recent crisis, where payments have not being made in time. The once touted "cash crop" hasn't been yielding the dividends it used to in the past. According to the data from the Uttar Sugar Corporation, cropping area has seen a steep 13-percent...

-The Hindu New Delhi: Seed technology major Monsanto says it is suspending plans to introduce an upgraded version of its genetically modified cotton in India because of uncertainty in the “business and regulatory environment”. Activists say this is a “hypocritical” position. On July 6, Monsanto notified the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee, the regulatory authority for approval of biotechnology traits in India, that it was withdrawing its application for the commercial release of...

-The Indian Express The govt believes the shortfall of cotton coupled with greater overall demand in the market will ensure higher returns to the farmers Mumbai: Cotton production in Maharashtra is likely to fall by 10 to 15 per cent this year, the agriculture ministry has said. Farmers postponed the sowing of cotton because of a delayed monsoon, which can lead to a drop in output. The cotton-growing farmers in Marathwada and...