Prices increase six times this kharif forcing farmers to spend an additional Rs. 1,000 crore Increase in the prices of all fertilizers except urea six times during the current kharif season has burdened the Farming community in the State by about Rs. 1,000 crore additionally. It is likely to add to the production cost heavily coupled with the increase in other input costs like seed, labour charges, diesel and pesticides. Scanty rainfall...

-The Business Standard Yes, it will help combat the acute shortage of farm labour, but it goes against the Act’s core principles. Devinder Sharma  Food and agricultural policy analyst The crisis in agriculture has worsened and it is directly proportionate to the spread of MNREGA Isn’t it strange? The Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), which was primarily designed as a radical and novel response to combat rural poverty, is actually hitting the very...

-TCN News   Eight journalists from all over India have been selected for the 2011 Inclusive Media Fellowships of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS). The recipients of the 2011 fellowships include three women reporters. For investigative and meaningful journalism, the fellows will spend time with rural communities to bring out their issues and anxieties for public and policy intervention. The Inclusive Media Project of CSDS also conducts media research...

Eight journalists from all over India have been selected for the 2011 Inclusive Media Fellowships of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS). One of the fellowships is supported by the ASER Centre of the Education NGO, Pratham, a pioneer in quality of education in Indian schools. The Inclusive Media Project also conducts media research and runs a unique resource centre, im4change.org, on India’s rural crises. The recipients of the...

-Reuters Cotton farmer Ravindra Krishna Patil in Maharashtra should be feeling flush after strong monsoon rains and a good crop, but high costs have cast a pall over his preparations for the festive season. Instead of splashing out on gold jewellery, appliances or maybe even a car during the biggest shopping season of the year, 28-year-old Patil must count his rupees after costs of everything from fuel to labour soared while cotton...