India's Public Distribution System (PDS) has been in a bad shape for decades, often thought to be beyond repair. Recent experience, however, suggests otherwise. Political will, increased transparency and community participation have led to an amazing revival of the PDS in Chhattisgarh though the state has only shown contempt for people's rights in other contexts… Somehow, the PDS became a political priority in Chhattisgarh and a decision was made to turn...

West Bengal's farmers switched to new scientific material called 'Poly Mulching' (made out of plastic) to protect crops. The North Bengal region has got some highly fertile agricultural land. But weeds, lack of proper sunlight, heavy downpour, soil erosion, seed germination and cold weather conditions often result in harming the crops and ultimately curtailing agricultural production. However, to protect crops from such problems, farmers have now found a suitable way by using...

We are a cash-rich company run by professionals,” says a smarmy 30-something Mumbai-based head of a leading real estate company. His company’s exponential growth in the span of just five years has raised eyebrows in industry and banking circles. The reasons are clear. The company is known to have tremendous clout in the corridors of power and with the builders’ lobby. It is backed by several important politicians in Mumbai and...

In the first week of September, two things happened in western Uttar Pradesh. The first is that a township that was supposed to be constructed in Aligarh district as part of the Yamuna Expressway project was scrapped. The second was that the UP government announced a revised compensation scheme for the acquisition of land. And now, more than two months later, that bears fruit: the township is back on, and...

The worries of state procurement and storage agencies may accentuate, as the wheat crop this rabi season is likely to have a higher output this year. The Ministry of Agriculture has projected a crop size of 82 million tonnes as compared to 80.71 million tonnes last year. “Although a bonus of Rs 20 a quintal is a pittance, it will not dissuade farmers from growing wheat, as it is a stable crop...