-Down to Earth State-level workshops will be conducted to help users interpret data from the system A new satellite-based drought-monitoring tool will be able to indicate the presence of drought and its level of severity, providing authorities the maximum possible lead time to put mitigation strategies into place in India and across South Asia.  In India, the South Asia Drought Monitoring System (SADMS) was developed by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and...

-Hindustan Times The Supreme Court on Thursday sought the Centre’s response to an application seeking moratorium on the release of genetically modified (GM) mustard even as the Centre assured there will be no “precipitative action” from its end till November 10, the next date of hearing. The Supreme Court on Thursday sought the Centre’s response to an application seeking moratorium on the release of genetically modified (GM) mustard even as the Centre...

-The Telegraph In a remarkable development, for the first time in 20 years, currency in circulation (CIC) declined during Diwali week. With the increased acceptance of digital payments in the country, over-reliance on cash is slowly fading away. Over the years, the Indian cash-led economy has now changed to a smart-phone led payment economy, says a research note.   In the report, Dr Soumya Kanti Ghosh, group chief economic adviser of State Bank...

-Hindustan Times The move will cushion prices of crop nutrients that are governed by the Centre’s nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) scheme New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved an additional ₹51,875 crore subsidy for phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for the rabi or winter-sown season, amid high global prices. The move will cushion prices of crop nutrients that are governed by the Centre’s nutrient-based...

-NDTV.com There were a "series of lapses", authorities have said, including the use of "substandard" materials for the renovation of the bridge in Morbi. Morbi, Gujarat: There were a series of lapses in the renovation of the pedestrian bridge in Gujarat's Morbi which collapsed four days after it was reopened, killing 135 people on Sunday, the police have told a court, seeking the custody of those accused. Here are 10 lapses that authorities...