-The Hindu The Central Information Commission has admitted fewer and fewer cases every month this year, under the Right to Information Act, data show, and RTI activists have asked for greater transparency in the process of turning down requests. Cases come before the CIC in two ways: if an applicant is not satisfied with the response to his or her request for information from a Central government authority, and with the verdict...

-The Hindu Business Line 75% of those committed suicide were the ones who took land on rent Hyderabad: With the Telangana farmers continuing to end their lives, farmers’ leaders have begun to delve deep into the agrarian crisis. A study to analyse the issue found that about 70-75 per cent of all those who committed suicide were tenant farmers. This MEAns that about 1,125 out of the 1,500 suicides reported – after the State...

-Livemint.com State seeks Rs300 crore more for drinking water supply and Rs750 crore for waiving off interest payments on loans New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh has declared 35 out of 51 districts in the state as drought affected and sought an initial central assistance of Rs.2,400 crore, indicating deepening rural distress. Karnataka, Maharashtra and Odisha have already declared parts of their state as drought affected. Madhya Pradesh finance minister Jayant Malaiya and agriculture minister...

-The Hindu Importers seek exemption from stock limits The Centre on Tuesday declared that the 82,462.53 tonnes of pulses seized in various States under the Essential Commodities Act would be made available in the open market within this week to augment supplies and arrest further hike in the prices of tur and urad dals. Rate not decided There was no word, however, on the rate at which these pulses will be made available in...

-The Hindu Traders say that basmati prices were expected to remain low this year as there had been an oversupply of the commodity in the international markets. Farmers of the aromatic, long-grain basmati rice in the grain bowl States of Punjab and Haryana are heading for yet another period of distress as the premium variety is fetching a price that is even below that of regular paddy. Sitting visibly distressed with his trolley...