A Greenpeace India delegation Tuesday met the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture and demanded a ban on Genetically Modified (GM) crops, saying that they were a threat to the country's agriculture, food safety and environment. The delegation made a presentation before the standing committee and presented evidence and credible publications outlining the threats posed by GM crops. 'We want the committee to make recommendations that will ensure a sustainable future for our...

Their ongoing negotiations remain shrouded in secrecy, but there are already reports that India and the European Union (EU) will have a free-trade agreement ready by the end of August, and that they will be putting signatures to it before the end of 2010. Yet it is a potential development that is causing more nervous chatter than joyous jitters here in India, where drug manufacturers in particular have raised concerns over...

Every year, India adds the population of Australia to its already staggering ranks of 116.1 crore people. Every 10 years, we add the population of Brazil — the fifth most populous country in the world. As yet another World Population Day comes around on July 11, and India stands poised to eclipse China as the most populous country of the world, the government is gingerly attempting to bring incentive-based family planning...

The District Planning Committee meet has resolved to construct office buildings with conference halls for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in all Gram Panchayats (GP) and Block Panchayats (BP).  Scheme Joint Co-ordinator V Madhusudhanan said that Rs 10 lakh each will be sanctioned to GPs, while Rs 25 lakh each will be allotted to BPs for the construction of ‘Bharatha Nirmana Kendra’. While 115 sq ft buildings...

India’s food inflation slowed as finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said agriculture prices may cool further on prospects of sufficient rains this year. An index measuring wholesale prices of agriculture products including lentils, rice and vegetables compiled by the commerce ministry rose 16.61% in the week ended 17 April from a year earlier. It gained 17.65% the previous week, according to a statement in New Delhi on Thursday. Mukherjee on Wednesday vowed to...