A report on ‘State of Indian Agriculture 2011-12’, tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, has called for reforms to ensure that the sector grows in tandem with the overall GDP of the country. The report says that “achieving an 8-9% rate of growth in the overall GDP may not deliver much in terms of poverty reduction unless agricultural growth accelerates”. Admitting that the sector has undergone ‘significant structural changes’ in...

-PTI A demand was raised in Rajya Sabha today that the Government should put in place a strong surveillance network to monitor inflow of foreign funds to NGOs besides creating a data base in the interest of national security.  "Government should establish a data base of NGOs to whom foreign contribution is increasing day by day. There are reports that funds are being utilised to fuel unrest in government projects," B S...

-The Business StaNDArd Cotton export ban was an example of poor policy The government’s sudden move to ban cotton exports &NDAsh; rolled back in less than a week following anger from cotton farmers and adverse political fallout — reflects very poorly on its policy management. The commerce ministry clamped down on exports without clear logic; prior consultations with other ministries concerned were also cursory or non-existent. Unsurprisingly, most players in the cotton...

-The Hindu   PMO holds talks with Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh The Prime Minister's Office has asked Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh &NDAsh; better known as Waterman -- to re-consider his resignation from the National Ganga River Basin Authority. Mr. Singh and his Authority colleagues Ravi Chopra and R. H. Siddiqi had quit two days ago in protest against alleged indifference of the Central Government towards protection of the Ganga river. Mr. Singh has...

The myth that Fukushima radiation levels were too low to harm humans persists, a year after the meltdown.  A March 2, 2012 New York Times article quoted Vanderbilt University professor John Boice: “there’s no opportunity for conducting epidemiological studies that have any chance for success &NDAsh; the doses are just too low.”  Wolfgang Weiss of the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation also recently said doses observed...