-PTI/ Business Standard The lowering of estimates has been attributed to "early summer" The government has revised downwards the estimate for wheat production by 5.7 per cent to 105 million tonnes in the 2021-22 crop year ending June from the earlier projection of 111.32 million tonnes, as the crop productivity has been affected due to the early onset of summer. Addressing a press conference, Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said the agriculture ministry has...

-Down to Earth Schools, Anganwadis find it difficult to meet nutritional needs of children, mothers, as a result Schools and Anganwadi centres (AWC) are finding it difficult to effectively run programmes that address the nutritional needs of children and mothers. This is because the government has not revised costing norms for mid-day meals despite inflation, teachers and activists said. There is an urgent need to re-evaluate the cooking cost of programmes such as...

-The Hindu Business Line Says shift to rice will help mitigate scarcity-like situation amid dip in wheat procurement The Centre has revised allocation of rice and wheat for 12 States under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) by asking Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to shift to rice for their entire grain requirement. For others, the reduction in the quantity of wheat will be compensated with the same amount...

-The Hindu Business Line A survey of Water Users’ Associations in Uttar Pradesh indicate that equitable distribution of water is still a distant reality Water is an indispensable factor of production in agriculture. Participatory irrigation management (PIM), adhering to the rules and norms of community-based natural resource management, gained salience by receiving thrust in the National Water Policy 2002. The PIM Act aims to monitor the equitable distribution of water resources between...

-The Hindu What is the Opposition-ruled States’ stand on reduction of value added tax to bring down petrol prices?  The story so far: Petrol is retailing at more than ₹100 per litre across India. While rising crude oil prices have added to the burden, the primary reason behind the steep increase in pump fuel prices over the last few years is the gradually rising Central Government's excise duty component. Currently, for every...