-Business Standard Greater adoption of cash crops combined with a collapse in the prices of agri-commodities has led farmers to the brink in major agricultural areas According to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data, nearly 64 per cent of all farmer suicides in the country in 2013 took place in the four states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, raising the question: why is rural stress resulting in farmer suicides...

-The Hindu India also scores poorly in the Mother’s Index Rank standing at 140 out of 179 countries. India is one of the 10 countries in the world with the greatest survival divide between wealthy and poor urban children. It figures in this worrying list with other nations that include, Rwanda, Cambodia, Kenya, Vietnam, Peru, Madagascar, Ghana, Bangladesh and Nigeria. India has also scored poorly in the Mother’s Index Rank standing at 140...

-The Hindu Handlooms are the one area where India leads the world in skill, creativity and expertise. The Handloom Reservation Act must be strengthened, not repealed Last month, Gajendra Singh, a farmer, hanged himself in New Delhi. His death attracted massive attention as it happened so publicly, in front of the hundreds of people gathered there for Aam Aadmi Party’s rally against the Land Acquisition Bill. Such attention is rare, given that...

-The Times of india KOCHI: Fish lovers across India should brace themselves for some unappetizing news — odds are that those holidaying in Goa, Kochi or Kolkata will see a lesser number of sardines and hilsa shad on their seafood platter. Researchers have found that India's marine catch has dropped by 5% in 2014 when compared to the previous year, resulting in higher retail prices. As per estimates released by Central Marine...

-Livemint.com The past decade has been transformative for rural India but deep-rooted vulnerabilities still remain Two years ago, the rural consumer was the delight of consumer goods companies and financial firms as they sought to tap the growing demand in India’s countryside. After repeated spells of poor weather in the past two years, rural demand seems to have weakened sharply. Villagers appear to be trapped in a new cycle of distress, which...