-Livemint.com Parliamentary panel blames ministry for not utilizing budget in full, demands tightening of administrative steps New Delhi: A parliamentary committee has criticized the government for cutting funds for the environment ministry and asked it to revise the allocation since the ministry is tasked with arresting environment degradation. The committee also blamed the ministry for not utilizing its budget in full, and demanded that it tighten its administrative mechanisms. A report by the...

-The Indian Express Rahul Gandhi will help farmers more if he focuses on how policies are implemented   On April 30, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi undertook a padyatra of about 15 km in the Vidarbha region to register his sympathy and concerns for farmers. Vidarbha has been reeling under agrarian distress for many years, and has also been an epicentre of farmer suicides. Cotton being one of the primary crops of this...

-ANI Chennai: Indian agriculture is at the cross roads, Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, father of India's first Green Revolution, has warned. Lamenting on the state of Indian farmers, especially farmers with small land-holdings, Dr. Swaminathan said, "The market economy certainly is not friendly to small farmers. WTO regulations are also hindrance. Even in the United States which is the heartland of the free market economy, farmers are insulated from market shocks through heavy...

-PTI Mumbai: Maharashtra's sugarcane farmers will be asked to strictly use drip irrigation by this year end in order to tide over severe drought that has hit many parts of the state, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan said. "Drip irrigation has immense benefits. It becomes even more essential when the state is facing severe Water scarcity. Today, the western Maharashtra and Marathwada region are facing severe drought conditions where Water has to...

-The Hindu MACHILIPATNAM (Andhra Pradesh): The Department of Science (DST) has roped in Krishna University to conduct disease mapping and documentation of geospatial data on health hazards owing to indiscriminate usage of pesticides in Krishna and Guntur districts. The study, which began at Ayyanki in Krishna district, will cover seven mandals, including Thulluru and Amaravati in Guntur district, where use of pesticides has been excessive. In Krishna, it will cover Diviseema region....