-Down to Earth Bijaya Jhankar grows nine traditional varieties of paddy that have a longer harvest duration of 130-150 days The eyes of Bijaya Jhankar twinkle as he approaches his 1.2 hectare (ha) farm for harvesting paddy. They are unlike any other varieties grown in his village Sanbaheli, which lies in the vast Sunabeda plateau of Odisha’s Nuapada district. “They yield shorter grains, take longer to mature but are of tremendous sentimental value,”...

-The Hindu Dire need for awareness and education regarding the superstition, says study conducted in Odisha Health concerns continue to be a major underlying reason behind witchcraft related violence in Odisha while there is a dire need for awareness and education among the people regarding superstition, says a study that analysed 102 incidents of violence. The study ‘Witch-Hunting in Odisha’ conducted by State Commission for Women, Odisha and Action Aid Association, a non-government...

-Down to Earth Most of the victims were targeted for “causing health issues or crop failure” Witch-hunts are still highly prevalent in 12 of Odisha’s 30 districts — especially Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Ganjam — a new report has claimed. Most victims of such superstitious practices were targeted for “causing health issues or crop failure”. Around 27 per cent cases were triggered by health issues in children, 43.5 per cent by...

-The Telegraph In India, inequality has been normalised While we know that inequality is bad, we do not deal with it. In India, we have normalized it, just like brazen communalization, bigotry and untruth. This is perhaps because many of us are complicit in perpetuating the inequality. Some data released this month provide a grim commentary on what is happening in the underbelly of the country. Scan through the regional dailies and you...

-TheWire.in In the face of a surplus of cereals and ever-dwindling prices as a consequence, farmers with small and medium sized Land holdings have tried to shift to the cultivation of perishable fruits and vegetables. Their incomes, however, are still hamstrung by a lack of rural cold storage facilities in the country. The farmers of India have won an epic victory. For 15 months, they braved the biting cold, cruel heat, misrepresentation,...