-The Hindu The absence of state accountability is at the core of issues facing tribal communities The Report of the High Level Committee on Socio-Economic, Health and Educational Status of Tribal Communities of India, under the chairmanship of sociologist Virginius Xaxa, was circulated last week. The 431-page report details the situation of tribal communities: Scheduled Tribes, de-notified tribes and particularly vulnerable tribal communities. Taking on board the findings and demands of social...

-Down to Earth This has happened in past surveys also, say experts The figures in the 19th livestock census report and the recently released survey report by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) don't tally. While the census report that was released this September shows that number of sheep and goats stood at 200 million in the 2012-13, the 70th round of National Sample Survey showed a huge decline in their number...

-The Hindu Nammalvar remembered on his first death anniversary Salem (Tamil Nadu): To encourage people undertake organic farming and to produce vegetables on their own, three types of vegetable seeds and two types of spinach seeds were distributed free of cost to the public here on Tuesday. As part of observing the first death anniversary of organic farming scientist G. Nammalvar, ‘Seed Day' was celebrated here. Members of Green City Association and Easan...

-The Hindu In the name of economic reforms and development, the government has taken a significant step backward in India's march to land justice. The pushing through of the Land Act ordinance violates all democratic norms On Monday, the Bharatiya Janata Party government cleared the proposed ordinance to amend the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013. This amendment, insofar as has been made known...

-The Hindu Business Line Bearish price trends in the global market, poor rainfall took toll on farmers in 2014 Farmers in the country were hit by a double whammy in 2014. Even as poor monsoon affected kharif output, lower commodity prices, largely influenced by a bearish trend in the global market, aggravated the agrarian crisis this year. In addition, the uncertainty over the vagaries of nature, largely through frequent unseasonal rains, compounded...