-The Hindu   Soon after being sworn in as Puducherry Chief Minister Founder leader of the All-India NR Congress N. Rangasamy was sworn in as Chief Minister of the Union territory for the third term at Raj Nivas on Monday at 3.20 p.m. Lieutenant Governor Iqbal Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Rangasamy. Immediately after the swearing-in function, Mr. Rangasamy visited his office in the Legislative Assembly and...

The chairman of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), Ashok Gulati, is a well-known proponent of reforms and an agricultural economist with diverse experience. Prior to taking charge of CACP, he was the International Food Policy Research Institute director in Asia. In an interview, Gulati spoke about the urgency for initiating reforms in the agricultural sector and made a strong case for intervention to check falling wheat prices either...

-The Hindu   The former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, has condoled the death of Bharatiya Kisan Union president and farmers' leader Mahendra Singh Tikait. In a condolence message issued here on Monday, the Janata Dal (Secular) president said he was “deeply shocked and saddened” to hear about Tikait's death. “He was a grass roots-level farmers' leader, who fought incessantly for the cause of ryots without any expectations and desire for power or...

-The Economic Times   India's grain bins are overflowing and the forecast for a normal monsoon promises another bumper crop, but political disagreement over a bill to secure food rights for the poor means the country is expected to steer clear of large-scale exports. Shipments from the world's second-biggest producer of wheat, sugar and rice could come as a relief for governments across Asia who are trying to combat food-led inflation,...

The cheapest car in the world proved the costliest for a 34-year-old Left Front CPI-M government in India’s eastern state of West Bengal, as the communists lost the elections here by a wide margin. The outcome is the result of an anti-left movement that began in 2006 following the controversial takeover of farmland to create a manufacturing plant for Tata Motors’ small family vehicle called the ‘Nano’. A sweep by a regional...