-Livemint.com Since state administrations failed to contain the noxious smoke of farmland stubble fires in North India, the Supreme Court has had to order a crackdown. Here’s what else we could do There was hope for the residents of a broad expanse of North India, who faced a public health emergency due to air pollution, a significant part of which was caused by smoke arising from the burning of crop stubble—stalks of...

-The Tribune Chandigarh: The Punjab Government’s policy of delaying sowing of paddy has resulted in deteriorating air quality, a study carried out by researchers of Harvard University, US, has found. The study titled “Detection of delay in post-monsoon agricultural burning across Punjab, India: potential drivers and consequences for air quality” carried out by Tianjia Liu of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Loretta J Mickley of the School of Engineering...

  Air quality in North India in general and Delhi National Capital Region (Delhi NCR) in particular plunged to its lowest point in recent years during October-November thanks to a variety of factors. Through media reports one comes to know that stubble burning (also called paddy straw burning/ crop residue burning) is chiefly responsible for the public health crisis in India's capital and its nearby regions. Data accessed from the website...

-Livemint.com Affluent states like Gujarat are failing to ensure their poorer children have a decent diet and that the richer ones are protected from lifestyle diseases India’s healthiest children live in its north-eastern states and Kerala, an analysis of a new national survey conducted by the government shows, but children in these states are also at greater risk of ‘lifestyle diseases’. However, some of the most affluent states - particularly Gujarat, Maharashtra...

-Livemint.com * A field report from the agriculturally prosperous heartland reveals a lacklustre festival of lights * Delay in farm loan waivers has worsened farmers’ credit score. So, financiers are unwilling to advance new loans to them for buying farm equipment SRI GANGANAGAR: "How are you going to celebrate Diwali?" My question gets Roopa Ram, an elderly farmer, so amused that he thinks it’s important to do some explaining to a reporter from...