-The Hindu     The killings of Mahendra Karma and his colleagues call not for retributive violence but for a deeper reflection on the discontent among the tribals of central India and their dispossession In the summer of 2006, I had a long conversation with Mahendra Karma, the Chhattisgarh Congress leader who was killed in a terror attack by the Naxalites last week. I was not alone - with me were five other members...

-The Hindu They also allege borewells are being dug without permission Chennai: Environmentalists and naturalists are shocked at the conversion of traditional agriculture land into resorts and digging of borewells in the ecologically sensitive Sirumalai forests in the Dindigul forest division. Sirumalai is popular for its hill banana, which is grown only there. Basically, it is a catchment area, where sixty per cent of flora found in the Western Ghats, are available. This...

-The Indian Express Concerned about rising levels of air pollution in the city, the Delhi government has commissioned IIT-Kanpur to conduct a comprehensive study of pollution levels and causes. The government plans to use data to formulate a policy to control and reduce air pollution, and initiate a second-generation air action plan. Commissioned last month, the IIT-K study will be the most comprehensive study since the 2007 Central Pollution Control Board and...

-The Hindu   Every day, more than 5,000 people develop tuberculosis; nearly three lakh children drop out of school owing to the disease and more than one lakh women are rejected by families in India. A middle-aged patient with a history of cough with blood-tinged sputum for three weeks duration consults a doctor. The physician puts forth a routine query whether anyone in his family suffers/suffered from tuberculosis? Annoyed, the patient responds: no...

-The Indian Express New Delhi: Around 62 per cent of high-income households prefer organic food due to rising awareness, higher disposable income and easy availability in the markets of big cities, a study by Assocham says. There has been a growth in the demand for organic products in metropolitan cities, especially fruits and vegetables, an increase of 95 per cent in the last five years. The survey titled "Rising demand of organic products...