-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The National Monitoring Committee for midday meal (MDM) scheme that met on Tuesday was told there are areas of serious concerns with the flagship programme. For instance, it was pointed out there is unavailability of eating plates in most of the schools. Report by various monitoring institutions (MIs) also said there is a delay in delivering cooking costs from state to school, cook-cum-helpers were getting irregular...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Raising the spectre of a second successive year of deficient rains, the India Meteorological Department has predicted below normal rainfall for the upcoming monsoon season with a 33% probability of rains being less than 90%, commonly referred to as a drought. "The monsoon seasonal rainfall is likely to be 93% of the long-period average with a model error of plus or minus 5%," said Union earth...

-Hindustan Times Some global meteorological agencies have pointed to the rising risks of an El Nino weather pattern this year which can trigger a poor monsoon in India, potentially posing an immediate challenge for the Narendra Modi government. El Nino, literally “little boy” in Spanish, is a climate phenomenon marked by higher sea-surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. Its effects vary, from storms in California to drought in Australia and India. ...

-Economic and Political Weekly Direct benefi t transfers in the form of cash cannot replace the supply of food through the public distribution system. Though it is claimed otherwise, DBT does not address the problems of identifying the poor ("targeting") and DBT in place of the PDS will expose the vulnerable to additional price fluctuation. Further, if the PDS is dismantled, there will also be no need or incentive for procurement...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The monsoon is likely to beat the adverse impact of an El Nino and provide normal rains in the country this year, private weather forecaster Skymet said on Thursday, in the first prediction on the 2015 rainy season by an Indian agency. About a week before the India Meteorological Department releases its first long range forecast, Skymet said it expects 102% rains during the monsoon season...