-Press release by Right to Food Campaign dated 28 September, 2018 Exactly a year ago, 11-year-old Santoshi Kumari of Simdega died of starvation while asking her mother for rice. Her family’s ration card was cancelled for not being linked to Aadhaar. In the last one year, at least 15 people have died due to hunger. Of these, 6 were Adivasis, 4 Dalits, and 5 of backward castes. All these deaths happened...

-Down to Earth Throughout ages, many rituals have been associated with millet cultivation and women are to be thanked for this As millets make a comeback to our fields and plates, the formal launch of an extensive campaign beginning from Pune to promote these nutri cereals assumes great significance. According to B Dayakar Rao, principal scientist at the Indian Institute of Millets Research, "The Pune event is basically an extension of the National Millet...

-Deccan Chronicle Hyderabad: Anna Canteens in Andhra Pradesh, formed on the lines of Amma canteens in Tamil Nadu, is providing food security to its people. The canteens were named after former chief minister N T Rama Rao (NTR), who introduced Rs 2 a kilo rice scheme in 1983. NTR was affectionately called “Anna” (elder brother). The Akshaya Patra Foundation runs these canteens. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu introduced Anna canteens on...

-Down to Earth Can pre-poll sops like giving smart phones with internet connectivity to farmers increase farm income? Last week, thousands of farmers and agricultural workers poured into the National Capital to attract and focus the attention of the Central government to their demands. The Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally, organised by farmers’ organization, All India Kisan Sabha, and the All India Agriculture Workers Union, broke all records as far as crowd numbers...

-Livemint.com Rural development secretary Amarjeet Sinha on how MGNREGS has evolved since 2006 to result in income, acreage, water tables, productivity and fodder availability Agrarian distress and rural distress are terms used interchangeably, but the rural economy today is very different from what it was many years ago, given the diversification of rural incomes and hence incorrect to think one means the other, says Amarjeet Sinha, secretary, ministry of rural development. In...