-Hindustan Times India’s June-September monsoon has been deficient so far and quite uneven in its spread, with the rain-bearing system entering a phase that will largely determine whether the country can escape a drought for the first time in six years.   Overall, rains have been 9% lower than normal, with sharper deficits in some areas. Rainfall during August-September, the remaining two months of the rainy season, would be poor at 84%, the...

-The Financial Express The criteria for fixing MSP of pulses should be sensitive to prevailing market prices The agricultural price policy, which aimed at providing a remunerative and stable price environment to farmers through MSPs and obligatory procurement by government agencies, has helped India overcome massive food shortages to emerge as a net exporter of food. Though the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Agricultural Prices Commission requires that policy-induced incentive should...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Setting the stage for manufacturing of vehicle engines that can ply on 100% bio-diesel soon, the road transport ministry on Friday came out with draft notification for mass emission standards for such vehicles. These will be known as "B100" vehicles like that of BS-III or BS-IV. Bio-diesel is both renewable and less polluting in comparison to diesel. B100 vehicles have been plying in Brazil and cities...

-Business Standard Skymet says rains will be normal in August Southwest monsoon has shown marked improvement over central and eastern parts of India in the past few days, narrowing the cumulative deficiency for July to 15 per cent from a high of 50 per cent. However, the situation is worrisome in parts of central Maharashtra, Marathwada, Rayalseema region of Andhra Pradesh, some districts of Telangana, and north interior Karnataka, where the total seasonal...

-PTI NEW DELHI: The country has received only 83 per cent of rainfall in July with the situation in parts of central and southern India remaining particularly grim, even as the weatherman predicted an improvement in the situation in coming days. "Until now, July has witnessed minus 17 per cent of rainfall," India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Laxman Singh Rathore said. He, however, said that there was no need to panic as...