-Economic and Political Weekly   The emphasis on use of digital technologies to bridge the "rural-urban gap" in the union budget is limited to high talk and minimal allocations. The need for a more comprehensive and peoples' participation-oriented rural action plan should have been the focus while setting sectoral allocations, but that is not to be in this mid-year budget. Vipul Mudgal (vipulmudgal@gmail.com) heads the Inclusive Media for Change project at the Centre...

-The Financial Express Global rice trade doesn't operate on market principles. Rather, it is guided by politics, vested interests and weather Rice is a political commodity. Governments all over the world maintain regimentation on rice production and trade through price controls and subsidisation, tariffs, phytosanitary and environmental safety standards-sometimes in a whimsical manner. On July 6, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) notified investigations (to be completed by April 2015) on...

-The Pioneer India's water distribution and consumption systems must be sustainable, drought-proofed, and adapted to climate change. Then the country can move from ‘drought-relief' status to a position where it has relief from droughts The Indian Meteorological Department is still unsure of the timing and the intensity of El Niño, further raising the grim prospect of insufficient monsoons and an imminent drought poised to affect many parts of the country. According...

-Press Information Bureau/ Ministry of Finance The agriculture sector will see a record production of foodgrains and oilseeds in the year 2013-14, according to the Economic Survey for 2013-14, released in New Delhi today. As per the third Advance Estimates, the production of foodgrains is likely to touch a record output of 264.4 million tones (mt) in 2013-14 showing an increase of 2.88% over the previous year. Similarly, oilseeds are likely...

-Press Information Bureau/ Ministry of Finance The Economic Survey 2013-14 released in New Delhi today has highlighted several challenges and reforms required in the agriculture sector. The Economic Survey states that as a concomitant of growth, the share of agriculture and allied sector in gross domestic product (GDP) declined to 15.2% during the Eleventh Plan and further to 13.9% in 2013-14 (provisional estimates-PE). While it still accounts for about 54.6% of...