-The Hindu Farmers may be hit as Niti Aayog proposal on shifting burden to States delays decision The monsoon has arrived in northern India and is expected to cover the whole country in the next few days, but farmers are still waiting for the announcement of the minimum support prices (MSP) for major crops. The Modi government had promised that this year the MSPs would be set at least 50% higher than production...

-India Climate Dialogue The meteorological department’s analysis of annual rainfall for the past 50 years has found significant increasing or decreasing trends in districts that could put a spanner into India’s food security scenario. Since June 13, there has been a hiatus in the advance of southwest monsoon in the country due to the weakening of its circulation pattern. This dry spell is expected to soon change as the monsoon is likely...

-IANS The crisis is mainly being brought about by three specific factors: climate change, pollution and poor farming practices Shimla and Bengaluru are two very disparate cities. One is a quaint hill station that acts as a summer retreat for most Indians while the other is a bustling IT hub, which makes it a popular destination for most of the corporates in India. Both are poles apart and, quite aptly, situated in opposite...

-The Hindu It’s time to debate the modalities of the next Census, given the earlier confusion over caste data. As the 2011 Census approached, demands for inclusion of data on caste in Census reached a crescendo. P. Chidambaram, the Union Home Minister at the time, was opposed to collecting caste data and blocked it by claiming that it was logistically impossible for the Census, but caste information could be collected via the...

-The Indian Express New Delhi: According to a report by the Niti Aayog, India is facing the "worst water crisis" in its history. Mismanagement, climate change and drought are some of the reasons for this. Further, rapid population growth has accelerated the demand for water. The report, titled ‘Composite Water Management Index’ (CWMI), was released by Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari. Mismanagement is a major cause for India’s water crisis. Water...