-The Hindu Mumbai: The Maharashtra government will seek a Rs. 4,300-crore financial assistance package from the Centre for providing succour to over 16,000 drought-affected villages, State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Eknath Khadse said on Saturday. Mr. Khadse said a memorandum seeking funds, expected to benefit over 60 lakh farmers in the drought-affected region, would be sent to New Delhi on Sunday. The Minister, who had earlier declared over 14,708 villages drought-affected, said the...

-The Indian Express Over-dependence on fossil fuels will hurt sustainable development in India For decades, mature economies have seen their jobs being off-shored to newly industrialising countries. To stop the bleeding, they are working hard to unleash the digital and renewable energy revolutions. The aggressive push to regain competitiveness by digital automation has been widely noted. What is less understood is the logic behind the energy transformation. In manufacturing economies, the cost...

-Livemint.com The shortfall in pulse production is expected to be around 2 million tonnes this year Under siege over sky-rocketing pulse prices, especially when the crucial Bihar elections are underway, the Centre initially blamed the state governments for the situation at hand for failing to crack down on hoarders. According to news reports, more than 80,000 tonnes of pulses have been recovered in raids across states in the last week or...

-PTI MUMBAI: With an aim to provide relief to farmers in drought-hit areas, the Maharashtra Government will launch an amnesty scheme for power bills of water supply schemes. This 'Panipuravatha Sanjivani Yojana' will be implemented on the lines of Krishi Sanjivani Yojana, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said after the weekly cabinet meeting. The scheme will be launched with retrospective effect from July this year. In the first phase, the scheme will be launched...

-The Hindu Business Line Policy interventions, skill development enhance opportunities for farmers Agriculture, the largest livelihood generating activity, is fast transforming itself from a supply-driven to a demand-demand scenario. The discerning consumer (urban, rural and global) is increasingly demanding better quality, multiple choices, food safety and convenience. Diversification is the key to convene these changing demand patterns with supply, and more importantly, to act as an overall risk mitigant for the producer himself....