People will resort to ‘jal satyagraha,' warns NBA   Shree Maheshwar Hydel Power Corporation Ltd (SMHPCL), promoters of the Maheshwar dam project, have objected to the Narmada Bachao Andolan's (NBA) claim that massive submergence would take place in the Narmada valley if the dam is filled up to154 metres. Plea to media In a communication to The Hindu on Monday, the SMHPCL accused the NBA of spreading “falsehood” and urged the media to “not...

Cotton production in the country has more than doubled due to the use of Bt cotton seeds, said Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today, batting in favour of the contentious genetically modified crop that is coming under increasing attack from activists and farmers for “stagnant yields, pest resistance and evolution of new pest and disease attacks”. In response to concerns raised in the Rajya Sabha over low yields due to the hybrid...

The Supreme Court today sought the stands of the Centre and various state governments on a plea alleging sterilisation surgeries on women under torchlight, in various places, specially in Bihar, in gross violation of the medical and ethical norms. A bench of justices R M Lodha and H L Gokhale issued notices to the Centre and various states and sought their replies within eight weeks on a public interest litigation by...

Tobacco-related cancers and cervical cancers caused most cancer deaths Cancer killed 5,56,400 people across the country in 2010. The 30-69 age group accounted for 71 per cent (3,95,400) of the deaths. In 2010, cancer alone accounted for 8 per cent of the 2.5 million total male deaths and 12 per cent of the 16 million total female deaths in this age group. These are some of the findings of a paper published...

While it has made progress on water supply, a high percentage continue to defecate in the open   Going by the present pace of progress, India will achieve the millennium development goals (MDGs) on sanitation only by 2054. While some States had already achieved the target and some are close to it, other populous States such as madhya pradesh and Orissa will reach the target only in the next century, according to...