-The Times of India NEW DELHI: With the deadline of submitting comments of stakeholders on genetically modified mustard to the central biotech regulator coming to an end on Wednesday, both anti and pro-GM groups have stepped up their efforts to bring finer points of their respective arguments in public domain. Ranging from holding 'Sarson Satyagraha' to round table conference in different parts of the country, the anti-GM groups have not only made...

-The Hindu Kerala leads in household toilet coverage, three cities from Karnataka find place in the new list. Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh have the maximum percentage of villages that are ‘Open Defecation Free’ according to the criteria of the Swachh Bharat Mission. While the northeastern State scores a hundred per cent, as per the current tally, Himachal Pradesh scores 55.95 per cent. Other better performing States with village-level achievements are Haryana and Meghalaya with...

-The Hindu Business Line Although literacy levels are improving, there’s not enough learning happening. This calls for urgent attention This year, marks the 50th year of International Literacy Day. In 1966, UNESCO declared September 8 as International Literacy Day to “mobilize the international community and to promote literacy as an instrument to empower individuals, communities and societies”. At Independence in 1947, India had a literacy rate of 12 per cent, which stands today...

-The Hindu Conservationists blame increased human activity along habitat. Kolkata: Scientists and wildlife conservationists are seeing red over the threat posed to Gangetic river dolphins by the National Waterways project. The animal is protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and is a declared endangered species. The development of the Ganga for shipping is seen by wildlife conservationists as the single-largest threat to the survival of the species, whose...

-The Hindu Business Line NEW DELHI: The Ministry ?of Environment and Forest (MoEF) ?has allayed concerns cited by environmentalists that the GEAC sub-committee that studied the bio-safety of GM (genetically modified) mustard did not have any ‘health expert’ on board?.? In a statement issued on Sunday, the ?Ministry clarified that the panel “had experts in subjects relevant to safety evaluation of GE (genetically-engineered) crops. “The GEAC in its 126th meeting held on 04.01.2016,...