-The Telegraph New delhi: Five years after sequencing the pigeonpea genome, Indian scientists have identified Madhya Pradesh as the centre of origin of this nationwide staple legume and discovered genes they say will allow the expansion of pigeonpea cultivation. Scientists at the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) near Hyderabad and their collaborators in Australia, China and the US yesterday announced the results of a new study that has traced...

-Livemint.com GM mustard is as safe and nutritious as regular mustard, the environment ministry says, even as India awaits ts final word on commercial production New delhi: Genetically modified (GM) mustard plants are as safe and nutritious as regular mustard, the environment ministry said, even as the country await its final word on commercial production. In the backdrop of protests against GM mustard, the ministry on Saturday published an eight-page Frequently Asked Questions...

-The Times of India NEW delhi: A gram panchayat's success in reducing poverty will be judged by the number of households with over Rs 20,000 in savings bank accounts or percentage of families with Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. Or, by the percentage of its households which have availed over Rs 20,000 as bank credit. Interestingly, higher the number of households with bank loans for "diversified livelihood", the better the village would be assessed...

-The Indian Express Both the EC and the Law Ministry have been asked to furnish their written replies at the next meeting. New delhi: AMID THE demands for state funding of elections, the Election Commission (EC) has categorically told a parliamentary panel that it is “not in favour” of the move. It has, instead, called for “radical changes” in the “provisions regarding receipt of funds” and expenditure by political parties to...

-Livemint.com Little has changed in terms of infrastructure gap between India’s rich and poor states between 2005-06 and 2014-15 From expressways in Uttar Pradesh to road tunnels in Jammu and Kashmir, large infrastructure projects are showcased by state governments as examples of development politics. Have these efforts been successful in bridging the infrastructure gap between Indian states? A look at the changes in the Mint state infrastructure index between 2005-06 and 2014-15 shows...