-India Infoline News Service   Mumbai: Efforts at the central and state government level to improve rural infrastructure, food distribution and non-agricultural employment opportunities are credit positive because, if sustained, they are likely to lower the credit challenges that India's vulnerability to drought poses. Moody's Investor's Service says that although India (Baa3 positive) may avoid drought this year, its economy remains vulnerable to future droughts or fluctuations in rainfall, and its sovereign credit...

-The Times of India JAIPUR: Eight villages in the arid regions of western Rajasthan are fast progressing towards sustainable development by venturing into growing Shankhpushpi, a medicinal herb which is scientifically proven to enhance memory and brainpower. Situated in the arid region with annual rainfall less than sufficient even for one crop in a year, the farmers grows traditional crops Bajra, Guar and Moth that have less commodity value. Until recently, they...

-Livemint.com India has about 31 lakh registered NGOs and less than 10% have complied with filing of annual returns according to the CBI New Delhi: Finally, we have a number. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has said that there are close to 3.1 million non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across 26 states in India. The data was part of the affidavit presented before the Supreme Court on 31 July as part of...

-PTI Patna: Bihar is the country's most flood-prone state with 73 per cent of its 94,163-sq.km area getting flooded annually, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) said in Patna today. 76 per cent people of North Bihar are at risk of getting caught in floods, said Giriraj Amarnath, senior researcher and project lead of IWMI, who added that Index-based Flood Insurance (IBFI) could prove to be a boon for the situation. Speaking at...

-Outlook The poor are increasingly displaying food preferences for better tasting, flavoured and packaged foods but with low nutritional content. Renewed media hype about counting the number of poor was sparked by the recent release of the Socio-Economic Caste Census. While many analysts found the prevalence of poverty alarmingly high, others debunked the SECC report for its muddled and incoherent view of deprivation. An important contribution of this report, however, is the...