-The Economic Times NEW delhi: After a successful Bharat Bandh against the Supreme Court judgement on the SC/ST Act, the government is worried about losing the perception battle to rival political parties on being pro-Dalit. While the suggestion for issuing an Ordinance-if needed to counter an adverse SC verdict on the review petitioncame from the Prime Minister’s Office, some cabinet ministers are of the view that issues like reservation in promotion and...

-The Telegraph New delhi: Kerala has become the first state to petition the Supreme Court for a review of its judgment that has been accused of "diluting" the SC/ST Atrocities Act by ruling against automatic arrests and allowing anticipatory bail. The Centre has already sought a review and recall of the March 20 judgment, which has triggered widespread protests and prompted a nationwide shutdown by Dalits on April 2 during which at...

-The Hindu Business Line Trade deficit widens as imports rise; exporters worried about future New delhi: A fall in exports of gems & jewellery, petroleum products, readymade garments and farm products pulled down India’s overall exports (year-on-year) by a marginal 0.6 per cent to $29.11 billion in March 2018. Exporters are worried as several of the sectors that have taken a hit are labour-intensive, which they say is due to liquidity problems. Exports, however,...

-The Hindu Business Line New delhi: Giving direct income support (DIS) to farmers — similar to what Telangana recently launched — may be a better option than the price deficiency payment (PDP) scheme or higher minimum support price (MSP) to address farm distress, according to a new study. Paying higher MSP based on cost-plus pricing would lead to market distortion. PDP schemes such as Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana (BBY), which was in force...

-Livemint.com Plant varieties and seeds cannot be patented under Indian law by companies like Monsanto, and any royalties on GM crops will be decided by the agriculture ministry, says delhi high court New delhi: Plant varieties and seeds cannot be patented under Indian law by companies like Monsanto Inc., and any royalties on genetically modified (GM) technology will be decided by a specialized agency of the agriculture ministry, the delhi high court...