-The Indian Express Food safety is critical for public health as food-borne diseases affect people's well-being,strain health-care systems, and adversely impact national economies, tourism and trade How often do we ask ourselves if the food we are eating is safe? Do we know if it is free of bacteria, viruses, parasites, chemicals, other contaminates, additives and adulterants which can cause over 200 diseases ranging from diarrhoea to cancer? Every year, diarrhoea caused...

-PTI NEW DELHI: The Centre has told the Supreme Court that though the country has become self sufficient in production of cereals, it is dependent on imports to bridge the gap between domestic production and demand of edible oil and pulses. Responding to a PIL on increasing farmer suicides in the country, the Ministry of Agriculture said in an affidavit, "India has not only ensured self-sufficiency in most of the agricultural crops...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Health experts today criticised a government delay in implementing a proposed daily drug therapy for tuberculosis patients, meant to reduce the risk of relapse after completion of treatment. Although the health ministry had itself last year released TB treatment standards emphasising a move towards daily therapy, virtually all patients treated under the government TB control programme receive thrice-a-week therapy, which carries a higher risk of relapse. A consortium of...

-PTI NEW DELHI: The level of air pollution in Delhi exceeds the limits prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), government said in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The air quality monitoring data for Delhi provided by Central Pollution Control Board indicates that the levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) exceed the WHO guidelines by a "factor of 7 to 12", environment minister Prakash Javadekar said. WHO published Air Quality Guidelines for Europe in 1987...

-The Indian Express Given indicators that the government is considering moving to cash transfers and replacing the public distribution system (PDS), and the release of the Shanta Kumar Committee report, the debate on how best to provide food security has been rekindled. The report has a careful analysis of the sources of inefficiency at various stages of the procurement, storage and distribution system. Especially heartening is the admission that the Food...