UNLESS THE prices of vegetables skyrocket and become a scandal — as they have over several weeks now, or as did the price of sugar last year — little in the out-of-sight world of Indian agriculture excites the imagination of the city folks, who influence, rather disproportionately, everything from government policies to newspaper content. Few of those who enjoy a hearty meal and wax lovingly on their favourite dishes can...

Only seven states pay average wages of Rs100 or more per day to workers under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s flagship rural welfare programme, despite the Congress party, which heads the government, promising to make Rs100 every worker’s entitlement last year. The UPA had fixed the daily wage of workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)—which promises at least 100 days of work annually to one...

The state has received Rs 5,942 crore, or 19% of the total Rs 31,149 crore released by New Delhi this financial year, it is followed by UP, allocated Rs 4,726 crore, or 15% and Andhra Pradesh, with Rs 3,781 crore, or 12% Rajasthan remains the top beneficiary of funds released by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government for its flagship income generation scheme. The state has received Rs 5,942 crore, or 19%...

Biotech technicians neither have the knowledge of gene ecology nor the expertise in multiple disciplines.    After the minister of environment Jairam Ramesh announced a moratorium on Bt brinjal, article after article in the media has denounced the decision, saying such decisions should be left to ‘scientists.’ The issue is however not science vs anti-science. It is reductionist science vs systems science. The moratorium took into account the best of science. Many...

Government today claimed that the problem of migrant labourers is being solved gradually through several Bharat Nirman schemes and rural job guarantee programme, NREGA. Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour that schemes like NREGA, which provides 100 days of guaranteed employment to the rural poor, and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) along with other Bharat Nirman schemes have been beneficial for labourers. "NREGA and...