-The Hindu Bench offers limited and unidimensional explanations to petitioners’ queries The Supreme Court judgment upholding the new Haryana panchayat law, which limits the voter’s freedom to choose his own candidate in a participatory democracy, offers limited and unidimensional explanations to questions and issues raised by parties in court. The judgment by a Bench led by Justice J. Chelameswar does not explain why it considers the reasons for disqualification in Section 175 of...

-The Statesman The first case of suicidal death of a farmer in Boudh district has been reported from Khuntapada under Harvanga block. According to the family sources of the deceased farmer Subha Kanta Pradhan, having being deeply frustrated with the crop loss and debt burden Pradhan had been depressed and talking of suicide for a few days. He had consumed poison on Monday and was admitted to the district headquarter hospital at...

-The Indian Express Officials pegged the total number of suicides in Marathwada at 1,024 on Tuesday evening, up by 27 since December 1, when the toll for the year stood at 997 suicides. Pune: IN BARELY a week, as many as 27 farmers have committed suicide in Maharashtra’s drought-hit Marathwada region, taking the suicide toll in the area beyond 1000 this year. Officials pegged the total number of suicides in Marathwada at 1,024...

-Hindustan Times Revolution imminent… genetically modified seeds produced by MNCs cause farmer suicides. Incendiary, out-of-context sound-bites juxtaposed between heartrending visuals distort rural poverty from a complex issue that each Indian must help resolve to a simplistic, accusatory Peepli Live feature. Instead of quixotic and strident anti-growth agendas offered as panacea, a coordinated and consistent approach to poverty reduction is needed. Poverty reduction needs development. The linkage between economic growth and poverty reduction is...

-Livemint.com With rural distress taking a turn for the worse due to weather woes and lower crop prices, farmer unions write to PM demanding constitution of commission New Delhi: With rural distress taking a turn for the worse due to weather woes and lower crop prices, leading farmer unions from across the country have written a joint letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding constitution of an income commission that could...