State governments in north India have put their agriculture officials on alert with the yellow rust disease affecting the winter wheat crop in parts of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The fungal disease forms yellow stripes on leaves, hindering photosynthesis and leading to stunted growth and shrivelled grain. India needs a bumper wheat crop this year to meet growing demand in ration shops as well as in the open market. The Haryana agriculture...

If you are a resident of Madhya Pradesh, Muslim and poor, nowhere close to the class of nawabs who can pay for murg musallam or mutton raan, watch your pot! The BJP government, led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has just armed itself with a big danda ostensibly to protect the holy cow and its progeny. But, make no mistake, it’s a stick to beat you with. To save your...

Central government officials will not be empanelled for promotions if they fail to meet the deadline for submitting their annual property returns to the government. The Centre, in an office memorandum issued today, has instructed central secretariat service officers to submit annual immovable property returns for the calendar year 2011 by the end of this month. Officers, particularly class ‘A’ officers, “who do not submit the property returns by the prescribed time...

-The Indian Express   The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh comes down on cow slaughter with an exceptionally stringent law. The Gau-Vansh Vadh Pratishedh (Sanshodhan) Act, which has received the presidential assent, makes cow slaughter a serious offence liable for punishment up to seven years. Even transport of cows to slaughter or storing of beef could invite punishment of varying degrees. Prohibition on the killing of cows and consumption of beef has been...

-The Hindu Kisan Sabha wants Prime Minister to meet agriculturists The All India Kisan Sabha has demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh convene a meeting of farmers' organisations, farm scientists and economists to evolve measures to accord top priority to agriculture sector in the XII Five Year Plan. The agenda finalised at the meeting should form part of the discussions of the National Development Council so that the Centre and States could finalise...