-The Financial Express After private weather forecaster Skymet on Wednesday predicted normal monsoons In India, research firm HSBC says that it will provide a boost to the agricultural sector. Interestingly, Skymet has forecast a a 20% chance of above normal monsoon, and a 5% probability of excess rain in 2018-19. HSBC notes that the agriculture sector is slated to benefit from it, as 70% of the total rainfall is attributable to...

-Livemint.com Kerala govt’s aim is to build 500 sq. ft houses costing Rs4 lakh each, for which the state has tweaked the centre’s housing programme, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Bengaluru: Building free houses for all the homeless in Kerala -- more than half-a-million at last count -- is one of the flagship projects of the Communist government. A cabinet meeting held on Tuesday night offers glimpses into the project’s nitty-gritty. The aim...

-Business Today Social sector spending and investments in infrastructure development could be the highlights of the forthcoming Union Budget 2018-19, credit rating agency ICRA forecasts. It expects increase in budgetary allocations for social infrastructure and social security spending, such as NREGA (rural job security), food subsidy (food security), insurance schemes and welfare pensions. Larger allocations for infrastructure related to cold chains, etc., considered to boost the agricultural sector and the rural...

-PTI NEW DELHI: There was no proposal to make Aadhaar linkage mandatory for property transactions, the Parliament was informed on Tuesday. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, however, said the rural development ministry had advised the states and union territories to explore the possibilities of using consent-based Aadhaar authentication for registration of properties under the...

-The Times of India SURAT: Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has started the process to convert organic waste generated in the city to compost and vermin compost. Small plants are being set up at municipal vegetable, flower and fruit markets in the city. SMC has set up 10 small organic waste converter plants to process dry leaves, rotten vegetables, fruits and flowers to compost. These plants which have capacity up to 200 kg...