-PTI The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is planning to get a study conducted to assess the reach and effectiveness of community radio stations in benefiting communities. The ministry has initiated the process of selecting a consulting agency to conduct a study on the listenership, reach and effectiveness of community radio stations in India by way of tangible and intangible, direct or indirect benefits to the community in India. It is learnt that among...

-The Hindu   With water becoming an important cost, and with climate change and soil degradation, the System of Rice Intensification offers disadvantaged farming households better opportunities A truant monsoon is in the offing, with El Niño weather patterns expected to bring about drier conditions. India has the world's largest area devoted to rice, a very water-intensive crop. This is a good time for giving impetus to "more crop per drop" practices, now...

-The Hindustan Times   Three NDA ministries are trying to pull the UPA's signature project, Aadhaar, in different directions, threatening to further slow down the plan to give all residents a unique identity number (UID). Sources told HT that three ministries - home, planning and information technology - were preparing to move the cabinet with their own plans for Aadhaar launched by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani. Aadhaar numbers have already been generated for 640...

-The Indian Express   Five years on, we need to examine our xenophobic reactions and paranoia of the intrusive state. Five years and Rs 4,000 crore ($800mn) later, there is a pregnant pause. "Are you who you claim you are?" is a question that more than 60 crore Indian residents can now answer with integrity. Twenty-three out of the 36 states and Union territories of India can now verify the authenticity of more...

-The Times of India     Attempt to muzzle newspapers by withdrawing advertising for critical news coverage A new report by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN) has strongly condemned "soft censorship" by governments and regulators as a "very serious threat to media independence and the very viability of media companies". WAN, which is the umbrella organization of newspapers representing more than 18,000 publications and 15,000 online sites in 120 countries...