-The Times of India NEW DELHI: India's bread basket states of Punjab and Haryana received just around half the normal rainfall this monsoon season. But more worryingly, this year's rain deficit is not an isolated event. The two key agricultural states have been getting below par rainfall for the past 16 years. Met department figures reveal Punjab has seen above normal monsoon rainfall in just two years since 1999. The last time...
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Maharashtra to shut almost 14,000 schools with less than 20 students -Aparna Pallavi
-Down to Earth While the state government aims to cut costs, children in remote tribal areas will be most affected After repeatedly putting off a decision on the matter, the Maharashtra government has finally decided to close down some 13,905 schools which have a student count of less than 20. Notices to this effect have already been sent to education officers in the state. Officials in the state's Directorate of Primary Education...
More »Direct benefit transfer plan set for expansion -Chetan Chauhan
-The Hindustan Times To check rising public expenditure, the government's two biggest money-spender schemes - subsidised ration for Poor and job guarantee in rural areas - will soon be on the Aadhaar-enabled Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) platform. The disbursal of subsidy for cooking gas cylinders will come back on the DBT platform after the previous UPA government decided to put it on the hold just before general elections. The UPA, which started transfer...
More »Undivided AP witnessed 2014 farmer suicides last year
-The Times of India HYDERABAD: In what could be seen a possible reflection of an agrarian crisis, 2014 farmers -- 1211 in Telangana and 803 farmers in Andhra -- committed suicide in the undivided state in 2013. The data provides a comprehensive analysis and break-up based on age, gender and districts on all farmers' suicides recorded last year. Among districts, Mahbubnagar topped the list in Telangana with 287 deaths and in Andhra, this...
More »Foodgrain production to fall 7% due to Poor monsoon
-PTI NEW DELHI: India's foodgrain production is projected to drop by 7 per cent to about 120 million tonnes in this year due to Poor monsoon rains. Foodgrain production stood at 129.24 million tonnes in the kharif season of the 2013-14 crop year (July-June). "... coverage in sowing position is as per average of last five years and is only 3 per cent lower than the situation of last year. With improved rainfall,...
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