-The Wall Street Journal   While modern crop engineering faces endless red tape, more slipshod cross-breeding gets a free pass. India has enjoyed signal successes with genetic engineering in agriculture. But today the nation's relationship with this critical biotechnology is in total disarray, the victim of activists' scaremongering and government pandering. Delhi should know better. Following the adoption of the genetically improved varieties and intensive crop management practices of the Green Revolution, from 1960...

-DNA For the first time, Maharashtra has officially admitted that cotton yield is likely to reduce by nearly 40%. Bt cotton failure in more than 4 million hectares of land has reduced cotton yieldfrom 3.5 million quintal to 2.2 million quintal. A report sent by the state agricultural department to the Centre states that the estimate of the net direct economic loss to cotton farmers in the state will be nearly Rs6,000...

-Rediff.com Bihar Rural Development Minister Nitish Mishra on Monday ordered an inquiry into the allegations that nearly 73 per cent of the funds allotted for implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in 38 districts of Bihar, between 2006 and 2012, have been embezzled by authorities "The department will inquire into the corruption and will conduct physical verification of all facts related to the scheme," Mishra said. The Bihar government...

-The Times of India ALLAHABAD: From December 1, for booking a ticket in any reserved class of the train, a passenger will have to produce one of the prescribed proofs of identity failing which the said passenger will be treated as ticketless traveler and will have to pay fine accordingly. This provision will, however, not affect the existing provision of Tatkal scheme where during the journey, the passenger is required to show...

-The Economic Times The government's ambitious plan for direct cash transfer of subsidies is facing implementation hurdles even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday set a January 1 deadline to roll out the scheme in 51 districts. While the PM's announcement was a formality, the petroleum ministry has pointed out that once the Cabinet approves the new mechanism on oil and LPG subsidies, it will take 11 months for a rollout. This...