-Firstpost.com/ The Ladies Finger “After all, what did the widows of farmers know about agriculture, crop management, bank loans, private debts, land documents, health bills, power connections, panchayat politics, children’s education? The short answer was – everything.” When farmers commit suicide in India – an occurrence so common that ‘farmer suicides’ is a phrase that’s become commonplace in newsrooms and policy spaces – their deaths are assessed and a compensation is given...

-The Hindu Rather than just increased budgetary outlays, farmers need plans that will rescue them from crop failure Similar to the last two Budgets, this year’s pro-agriculture intentions are palpable through increased outlays to the agricultural SECtor and initiation of various programmes. They seem impressive, but closer scrutiny shows that the measures may be of little help to stem the tide of agrarian distress. There are some real challenges confronting three...

-The Hindu Business Line NGO says antibiotic misuse has made these farms breeding grounds for superbugs New Delhi: New Delhi-based non-governmental organisation Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Tuesday accused the domestic poultry industry of twisting facts from one of its earlier studies to show that chicken produced in the country was safe for consumption. Terming it a “complete misrepresentation”, CSE strongly objected to the way results of a 2014 study were...

-TheWire.in Three related pleas before the Central Information Commission throw up numerous facts on demonetisation, including how Ambedkar’s photo was proposed to be printed on new notes. New Delhi: With the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) being reticent about the events around demonetisation that was announced late on November 8, 2016 and refusing to part with information about it in response to a query filed under the Right to Information Act, the Central...

-The Hindu KM Yadav of Kanpur emerges as a saviour for rural people GUNTUR (Vijayawada): An RTI activist from Uttar Pradesh, who runs his office from a tea stall in Kanpur, has emerged as an unlikely saviour for people tired of making rounds to government offices. Krishna Murari Yadav may not flex his muscles like Munna Bhai, but earned the title of K.M. Bhai from the residents of villages around Kanpur for addressing...