After the release of the second phase data of the National Family Health Survey Fifth Round (NFHS-5), media commentators and experts have written that the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) for India has gone down just below the replacement-level fertility. The TFR for the entire nation was 2.2 in 2015-16, which decreased to 2.0 in 2019-21. According to the United Nations, the replacement-level fertility is reached when the TFR of a...
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Indians are Vitamin D deficient. And no, it can’t be fixed by diet alone -Subhasree Ray
-ThePrint.in Vitamin D deficiency is a public health problem. India gets surplus sun, yet a large percentage of Indians suffer from significant vitamin D deficiency. And this number is only growing – it’s a public health problem of epidemic proportions. What could be the possible reasons? Dietary insufficiency is an evident cause, and nutrition policymakers are looking into food fortification as a major intervention to combat this public health problem. However, scientists...
More »After arsenic, fluoride and iron, now high levels of radioactive uranium in Bihar’s groundwater - OP Singh
-GaonConnection.com At least ten districts of Bihar have reported high levels of uranium in their groundwater, the primary source of drinking water in rural areas, which far exceeds the tolerable limit prescribed by the World Health Organization. Millions in Bihar are already facing a high disease burden due to elevated levels of arsenic, fluoride and iron in their water. Presence of uranium has multiplied their worries manifold. The state government is...
More »Indian agriculture needs a Verghese Kurien -C Sarat Chandran
-The Hindu Amul’s success does not seem to have become a catalyst for similar movements across other agricultural commodities Many wish for legendary “Milk Man of India” Verghese Kurien’s presence in our midst today as the conflict between the Central government and the farming community on the issue of the farm laws appears to be still unresolved. November 26, 2021 was also Kurien’s 100th birth anniversary. Kurien’s deep understanding of Indian farming...
More »A food crisis of the government’s own making -RS Dharmakeerthi
-The Hindu Sri Lanka’s decision to ban imports on chemical fertilizers was not backed by scientific evidence There is consensus in the scientific community that organic agriculture could reduce crop yield. Quoting three global Meta-data analysis, Meemkem and Qaim (2018) pointed out that on average, the yield reduction in organic agricultural systems could be 19-25%, depending on the crop and agro-climatic region. To switch to 100% organic agriculture, a country must have...
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