-The Tribune New Delhi: Amid the central government’s claim of 28 per cent higher yield of GM mustard in the Rajya Sabha, former government scientists and agriculture experts have accused the government of fiddling with GM DMH -11 data. The government is said to have claimed that there is 28 per cent higher yield of GM mustard than that of other varieties. Dr SE Pawar, who has worked at nuclear agriculture &...

-The Hindu This is the first time that a Central ministry has endorsed the safety and benefits of the seed in Parliament Field trials of the transgenic mustard variety, DMH-11, revealed them to be higher yielding and they didn’t deter the pollination habits of honey bees, Union science minister Jitendra Singh said in Rajya Sabha in a written response to a query. Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11) had recently been approved by the Genetic...

-Down to Earth Could diversify feedstock basket, help secure long-term sustainability with improved economics  Ethanol-blended petrol is regarded as one of the most acceptable alternative fuel blends for transportation; however, the use of molasses and broken grains for its production raises the question of food vs fuel. Second-generation (2G) bioethanol could help to secure long-term sustainability with improved economics for the Indian biofuel market.   Union Minister of State (Ministry of Science and...

-Hindustan Times Kerala recorded the highest number of major landslides in the country in the past seven years, the ministry of earth sciences informed Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Of the 3,782 landslides between 2015 and 2022 so far, 2,239 alone were reported in the southern state. This was followed by West Bengal that recorded 376 landslides, Jitendra Singh, minister for earth science and science and technology, informed the House. Singh shared the data...

-The Wire Science * Many regions in India, including the north and the centre, are currently reporting hotter weather thanks to heat waves. * The IMD has forecast ‘severe’ heat wave conditions for the next three days over parts of Rajasthan. Heat waves will also prevail over areas of Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Telangana. * According to the government, the IMD’s predictive power to forecast heatwaves has increased significantly over the years. Kochi: Many...