-Frontline Many of the targets of U.N. Millennium Development Goals may remain unachieved by India, if one goes by the latest progress report. In his keynote speech at the Jaipur Literary Festival held in January, Professor Amartya Sen highlighted the vast disparities of development in India. Whereas in some States such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala the human development indices are on a par with many European nations, many States have...

As the challenge of global warming looms large, the importance of climate resilient agriculture (CRA) gets recognized by both scientific and farming communities. Countries like India are expected to be intensely affected by climate change since majority of the population is primarily dependent on agriculture for livelihood. CRA, encompassing adaptation and mitigation strategies and the effective use of biodiversity at all levels-genes, species and ecosystems-should, therefore, be India's response towards...

-Down to Earth Soil's carbon storing ability may be different from what is believed SOIL has the unique ability to sequester carbon. By doing so, it lowers the amount of carbon released in the ATMosphere and plays a significant role in the global carbon cycle. Though the concentration of carbon dioxide in the ATMosphere has increased over the years, the rates of carbon sequestration have remained unchanged. Recent scientific developments indicate a shift...

-The Hindu The Provisions of the Bill are aimed at creating "conducive" ATMosphere for street vendors, and designated spaces for them to carry out their business. A Bill that provides for protection of livelihoods rights, social security of street vendors and for regulation of urban street vending in the country--the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2014--was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Moving the Bill for...

-Outlook Mumbai: RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan today said individuals without a bank account will soon be able to receive money from those with bank accounts, using automated teller machines (ATM). "We have recently approved the in-principle setting up of a payment system which will facilitate funds transfer from bank account holders to those without accounts through ATMs," he said, delivering the DR Gadgil lecture here. Rajan said the move is driven by the...