-The Tribune Incentivises ethanol produce to cut crude oil dependence New Delhi: Aiming to reap electoral dividend in the upcoming elections, the government on Wednesday approved a new umbrella scheme to roll out its hiked MSP for farm produce under “Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyaan” (PM-ASHA) for which it has earmarked Rs 15,053 crore. It has also decided to incentivise ethanol production in a bid to reduce crude oil dependence at a...

-The Telegraph Centre hikes pay, still trails many states New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government on Tuesday decided to increase the honorarium the Centre pays anganwadi workers and accredited social health activists besides those working as auxiliary nurse midwives in a move trade unions saw as an election-eve sop to cap brewing discontent. The unions have been demanding the regularisation of these workers and helpers who last got a hike in 2011. State Governments...

-PTI Many rivers including Periyar, Bharathapuzha, Pampa and Kabani, which were in a spate during the days of flood, are now getting dried up and their water level has decreased abnormally. Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): With mercury levels rising and abnormal drying up of rivers and wells reported in flood-hit Kerala, the State Government has decided to conduct scientific studies on the post-flood phenomenon in the state. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed the state...

-Down to Earth Can pre-poll sops like giving smart phones with internet connectivity to farmers increase farm income? Last week, thousands of farmers and agricultural workers poured into the National Capital to attract and focus the attention of the Central government to their demands. The Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally, organised by farmers’ organization, All India Kisan Sabha, and the All India Agriculture Workers Union, broke all records as far as crowd numbers...

-National Herald Talking about farmers’ issues, P Sainath said, “It is not just an agrarian crisis, it is now a national crisis. The Modi govt has been engaged in fooling the nation. They are telling lies shamelessly” The founder editor of People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), the former Rural Affairs editor of The Hindu and author of the much acclaimed book ‘Everybody loves a Good Drought’, P Sainath, has recorded rural...