-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Jean Dreze, eminent economist and a former member of the National Advisory Council during the UPA regime, was dropped from a high profile economics conference organized by the finance ministry.  Dreze, who has been critical of some of the measures of the NDA government, was invited to speak at the Delhi Economics Conclave on Friday.  "This is the invitation I received and accepted some time ago. On...

-Livemint.com India’s agricultural growth rate has hovered around 2-3% annually, when in fact it should be at least 5% India’s agriculture became moribund decades ago, and shows no sign of uplift for the long haul. Indeed, the rain gods have played havoc with Indian farmers. But not just the gods, Indian states have done precious little to tackle the problem head-on. The government’s solution is to give financial sops to farmers...

-TheBetterIndia.com Ashok Sonule and his family struggle every day to feed twelve mouths. But, whereas most farmers in the vicinity have barren fields, his are lush with jowar. And what does he do with it? Leaves the entire harvest to feed birds. He has not even installed a scarecrow and ensures the water bowl is always full for the thirsty birds. Read on. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Ministry...

-The Hindu At present, it is being sold at Rs. 190&NDAsh;200 a kg in retail stores To be sold at Rs. 110 a kg through Coop. outlets Chennai: Starting SuNDAy, consumers in major cities in the State can procure toor dhal at Rs. 110 a kilo. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had recently announced that imported toor dhal would be made available through 91 cooperative outlets. She had made the announcement following a steep increase in...

-Hindustan Times Bettiah/Bagaha: Bihar’s MaNDAte 2015 has been billed as a choice between good governance and a return to ‘jungle raj’ (rule of the wild). But what matters most for the marginalised tribes in the state is going back to the days when they enjoyed their jungle rights. The 899 sq km Valmiki National Park along the Nepal border in West Champaran district is Bihar’s only tiger reserve. The fringes of this...