-The Hindu Caste demographics do not have the deterministic effect on electoral outcomes that is often assumed As a new round of State elections approaches in India, political parties are crafting their electoral strategies. A large part of this exercise consists of constituency mapping, or gathering data about caste and community demographics, information about the local balance of power between groups, and the identification of local caste leaders, with the aim of...

-Newsclick.in The month of October has been worse with over 30 killings reported from the region that includes as many as 12 civilians with at least 11 of them killed by militants as close targets. Srinagar: The killing of non-local workers in a fresh series of attacks by suspected militants have prompted the departure of scores of non-locals from Jammu and Kashmir, amidst rising fear and tension in the region. At least two...

-The Hindu Pampa, Manimala, Achencoil still above danger level Amid havoc caused by torrential rains over the past week leading to floods and landslips, the Kerala Government has constituted an expert committee to regulate the release of water from 81 dams across swollen rivers. The hydroelectric, irrigation and drinking water dams in the State are several decades old and designed in a pre-climate-change era. Climatologists, structural engineers, and hydrologists are on the committee...

-The Tribune A major hurdle to increasing exports is the decades-long neglect of export market infrastructure, which doesn’t meet the importing countries’ standards in terms of quality, quantity and other attributes such as food safety norms. India lacks an export-oriented strategy for agricultural commodities to establish itself as a regular supplier to international markets due to ad hoc measures such as a ban on exports or increase in tariffs off and...

-Hindustan Times On Saturday, two landslides claimed 18 lives in Idukki and Kottayam districts. Residents of Kootickal and Kokkayar, the two worst-hit hamlets, witnessed a tragedy of such magnitude for the first time Thiruvananthapuram: The death of 24 people in flash floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in the hilly areas of Idukki and Kottayam districts in central Kerala has once again highlighted the recurring natural disasters in the state. Kerala has...