The Guwahati molestation incident throws light on the violence women face overtly and covertly in India, at home and outside. The shocking incident of the beating and molestation of a young woman by a mob in Guwahati in Assam on July 9 has exposed the ugly underbelly of modern, globalised India, where women face violence, covertly and overtly, at home and outside. The incident has also exposed the lackadaisical manner in...

-The Hindustan Times Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said on Saturday that the state’s present drought-like situation could turn into a greater calamity than maharashtra’s drought of 1972. Pawar was speaking to the media after a meeting with his party leaders and district cadre to review the scarcity scenario. He said that while there have been forecasts of rain for the next four months, the rainfall predicted was  not satisfactory. “In the...

-The Indian Express When Team Anna members Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia announced Friday the decision of their anti-corruption movement to launch a political party, they said it was based on the “strength of the people of India”. But the decision seemed to have shaken the the strength of their own organisation, with prominent members as well as ordinary supporters openly criticising the switch and even distancing themselves from it. Sri Sri...

-The Economic Times MUMBAI: Scanty rains in cotton-growing regions of Gujarat, maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have washed away hopes of hybrid seeds growth in the country. The National Seed Association of India (NSAI) is expecting only a single digit growth between 5-7% against its previous estimate of 20% early this year.  India's hybrid seed industry, which is pegged at Rs 11,000 crore, grew nearly 15% last year. And cotton seed contributes up...

-The Economic Times The rural development ministry is preparing for a big push to its flagship employment generation programme as drought has depressed demand for farm labour. The ministry has written to state governments asking them to identify development projects under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) to ensure there's enough work available for those in need.  "We expect demand for work and wages to go up in the coming...