-Down to Earth The government is trying to gradually withdraw from procurement operations, MSP regime with this move, feel farmers A recent draft proposal by the Union government to change the Moisture Content Limit for wheat and paddy has farmers worried ahead of the rabi procurement season that begins April 2022.  The ideal moisture content in wheat may be reduced to 12 per cent from 14 per cent and in paddy to 16...

-The Indian Express In back-to-back moves aimed at controlling onion prices, the government has relaxed import norms and now reintroduced stock limits. Why have prices been rising, and how far can these moves check the rise? With less than a week to go for the Bihar elections, the Centre on Friday reintroduced the stock limit on onions — a move aimed at controlling rising prices, which crossed Rs 80 per kg in...

  Air quality in North India in general and Delhi National Capital Region (Delhi NCR) in particular plunged to its lowest point in recent years during October-November thanks to a variety of factors. Through media reports one comes to know that stubble burning (also called paddy straw burning/ crop residue burning) is chiefly responsible for the public health crisis in India's capital and its nearby regions. Data accessed from the website...

-The Hindu Phenomenon observed in cities Chennai: Very heavy rainfall lasting less than 24 hours (sub-daily) in urban locations in India has become more intense during the last few decades. The frequency of sub-daily rainfall extreme has also witnessed a two-fold increase between 1979 and 2015, say researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Gandhinagar. Currently, rainfall data is reported on 24-hour basis and long-term sub-daily observations are limited. In cities, heavy downpour for less...

-The Hindu Paddy stubble, unlike wheat residue, isn’t valuable animal feed. Incentivising biomass-based power plants in Punjab and Haryana will help north India breathe easier. Delhi has registered its worst air quality in recent times. This has prompted Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to call it a “gas chamber”. Pollution in different parts of the capital has touched hazardous levels with potentially serious health effects on the rich and poor alike, especially on...