In 1960, when I was enrolled for my MA at the Delhi School of Economics, the shining star at the School was certainly K.N. Raj. The founder of the School, V.K.R.V. Rao, had left the institution, but came back every Founders’ Day to remind us of its glorious past and of the enduring values it embodied. Raj’s style was much lower key, but it soon became clear that his dedication...

India could face a massive 50% water deficit by 2030, the biggest globally, says the recent report of the Water Resources Group (WRG).  Fortunately, the supply-demand gap could well be filled, with vision, proactive policy and only modestly higher sectoral outlays, it adds. The WRG, consisting of a panel of global experts, estimates the ‘water availability cost curve’ to meet the heightened demand at about $5.9 billion per annum, or...

Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen on Monday said the government should have acted with more firmness against hoarders and speculators, to curb price rise. Dr. Sen said that whenever prices start rising some people see in it an opportunity to make money. The government should have acted against such a tendency with a firm hand. He was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Green Revolution II conference organised by...

High-decibel exchanges on genetically modified (GM) brinjal, potentially India’s first edible biotech crop, have sparked concerns among sections of scientists whether its fate now hinges on emotions rather than science. The last of a series of public consultations called by the Union environment ministry ended today in a packed auditorium at Central College, Bangalore, after four hours of debate, punctuated at times by shouts and sharp verbal exchanges. At one point,...

Bacillus Thuringiensis Brinjal, popularly known as Bt brinjal, is at the centre of a major controversy in India. Bt brinjal, a genetically modified strain created by India's number one seeds company Mahyco in collaboration with American multinational Monsanto, claims to improve yields and help the agriculture sector. However, the debate over the safety of Bt brinjal continues with mixed views from scientists working for the government, farmers and environment activists. Environment activists says...