-The Business Standard   Had late winter rains not damaged some standing crops in northern states, India would have had record foodgrain production of 263 million tonnes (mt) in 2013-14. Whatever the loss of rabi crops, the good southwest monsoon allowed India to record the targeted growth of four per cent in production. However, a good season should not distract us from the reality of the farm sector's vulnerability to major shocks...

-The Hindu Hyderabad: When compared to non-vegetarians, vegetarians consume less amounts of salt and fat but on the whole, vegetarians were consuming a better mix of nutrients than non-vegetarians, a study conducted by the Delhi-based South Asia Network for Chronic Diseases (SANCD) concluded. Vegetarian foods are also less in Vitamin B12, Zinc and Iron but have high amounts of Vitamin C and Folic Acid, the study said. Presenting the findings at a...

-The Business Standard FSSAI will put the draft guidelines in front of a seven-member expert committee Mumbai: In what would alter the consumption pattern of products such as burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, snack foods and soft drinks in schools, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is putting in place final guidelines to determine what counts as healthy food in educational institutions. The guidelines, to be released by December this year, would...

-Outlook The oasis UPA is supposed to have brought Pakur is a mirage UPA Divertissement Ad claims refurbished pond in Hiranpur block has promoted communal amity through ‘social and religious events'. Locals say no such events have held. Locals dissatisfied with the siphon irrigation system praised in the ad have damaged it repeatedly In fact, local administration is worried about a law and order situation if it files...

-The Guardian A spike in prices caused by poor harvests and rising demand is an apt moment for the west to reassess the wisdom of biofuels The last decade saw the end of cheap oil, the magic growth ingredient for the global economy after the second world war. This summer's increase in maize, wheat and soya bean prices – the third spike in the past five years – suggests the era of...