-The Financial Express A mechanism is needed to compensate farmers for not exercising their right to sell productive land but continue to grow foodgrains. India finds itself in a piquant situation. While its population, and with it the number of poor, is growing, its cultivable land is not only shrinking, more worryingly, the economic returns of the agricultural use are diminishing vis-a-vis non-agricultural use. The situation may not be alarming right now,...

-Tehelka The Centre must empower forest-dwellers and strengthen legislation instead of bypassing the forest rights Act and playing into increased conflict What did not raise much chatter last week was a hint that the ‘development' juggernaut was considering scrapping the forest rights Act, using one of many backdoor methods available to bypass legislation. It will force the country back to intense mineral-based conflict and also the never-ending struggle for land, which fill over-crowded...

-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...

-Down to Earth   The post-MDGs target seems impossible as chronic poverty sets in. Now, more poor people are becoming chronically poor compared to earlier times. The subject needs a different debate and design The State of Food Insecurity in the World report is an annual state of affairs report published by the FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the UN World Food Programme. The timing of the report is...

-Down to Earth Tribal affairs minister asked to withdraw objections to Maharashtra's Village Forest Rules that allow forest department take control over forests in violation of FRA The forest rights Act (FRA), which protects the rights of tribal people and forest dwellers over their forests, is under fire like never before. Multiple ministries in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government are putting pressure on the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA)...