-The Economic Times West Bengal government has firmed up plans to provide assistance to farmers to enable them to grow 800 varieties of aromatic rice, many of which are rarely grown nowadays. Among the aromatic varieties identified for special treatment are kanakchur, randhuni, chandrachur, radhatilak, badshahbhog and kerala sundari. Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya in Kalyani is playing a major role in identifying the varieties of rice, as well as finding out ways...

-Livemint.com Major consumer goods players have caught on to the emergence of ragi as an alternative food, triggering production of the millet crop in India New Delhi: Just like the humble quinoa, which has risen to global prominence as a ‘super food’, ragi or finger millet was once a subsistence crop—a poor man’s staple. For the last four years or so, all that has changed. “Demand for ragi has come back as people are...

-The Hindu British doctor started with a roadside clinic, was deported from Bangladesh and jailed in Bengal There was nothing on his wrinkled face or in his demeanour, to give an inkling of the remarkable life that he has led over the past four decades. Age has withered him, but has not broken the indomitable spirit of this octogenarian. Dressed carelessly, he stood with just a little stoop, talking affably, shaking hands with...

-The Hindu Kozhikode: Government schools having low number of students is no news. But what is unusual about Government Lower Primary School, Bairayikkulam, is that of the total 13 students there, 12 are children of migrant labourers, whose mother tongue include Bengali and Tamil. Syamala V.K., headmistress, was a picture of poise when asked about the shrinking number of students in her school. “Education should not be looked upon only in terms...

-IANS Kolkata: Lack of policy directions for ensuring quality implementation of programmes makes the Union Budget 2017-18 allocations to ailing core social sectors like education and health inadequate in delivering the benefits, experts say. Schemes like Swachh Bharat-Urban and the National Social Assistance Programme saw no increase, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan got a mere 4.4 per cent rise in allocation, while the Integrated Child Development Services got an enhancement of about five per...