-The Telegraph Patna: The warm winter that took Bihar by surprise could hit the rabi crop hard with experts estimating an over 13 per cent drop in agriculture production during the season. The fall in production, the experts fear, could lead to distress among farmers and also contribute to inflation in food grain, pulses and oilseeds. "We are estimating production of around 52 lakh tonnes of wheat this rabi season in the state....

-Hindustan Times New Delhi: The ongoing strike by municipal workers in Delhi has deprived a majority of over 12 lakh poor students of their daily nutrition in the form of mid-day meals. Officials said since teachers were either not reporting to work or not teaching, the attendance in 1,860 municipal schools had gone down and affected the distribution of mid-day meals. The mid-day meal scheme is a government programme designed to improve the...

-Business Standard Keeps records of deliberations and biosafety data under lock Keeping its agenda, records of discussions and results of safety trials under wraps, the environment ministry’s Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is set to decide next week whether it is safe to commercially grow genetically modified mustard. The committee is scheduled to meet on February 5 and could make a final recommendation on what could be India’s first commercially-grown genetically modified...

-The Indian Express Building on the Jan Dhan framework, India should move from price to income support Financial inclusion is an important policy pillar of the Narendra Modi government to ensure inclusive development (sabka saath, sabka vikas). What it means, in brief, is to mainstream financial services for the masses, especially credit at affordable costs from institutional sources. This is not the first time financial inclusion is being given a thrust. Various...

-PTI The bench also asked the Centre to collect and collate information from drought-hit states on the status of welfare schemes like MGNREGA, National food Security and mid-day meal. The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on certain states for not implementing welfare legislation National food Security Act, saying that why a state like Gujarat is not implementing the law passed by Parliament. “What is Parliament doing? Is Gujarat not a...