Topic: Agriculture
India could see winter crop cultivation shrink by 20% as groundwater depletes, study finds
Study by Indian and US researchers says that alternate plans needs to be devised as a complete switch to canal irrigation will not compensate for groundwater loss.
Indian-American energy expert gets key position in US agriculture department
Bidisha Bhattacharyya has been appointed as Senior Policy Advisor in the Farm Service Agency. Previously, she has spent 3 years deploying solar energy solutions in rural India.
Everyone agrees farm reforms are needed. Here’s how Modi govt can break political deadlock
Disparaging the ongoing debate and fuelling divisions within the farming community will only undercut the roots of much-needed reforms in agriculture.
Rural India can’t be dustbin of history. Three farm laws have shown farmers need a New Deal
Indian agriculture will follow an Indian path. Farmers are not vestiges of the past. They are here to stay.
Farmers’ protests are the birth pangs of a more urbanised India
It’s not enough to say giving free rein to markets will automatically make farmers productive & prosperous. Someone has to explain the new arrangements.
Customs duty on gold cut to discourage smuggling, money laundering, says finance secretary
Finance Secretary A.B. Pandey says the cut on customs duty shrinks the price difference of gold in the international and the domestic market, and helps enforce a simple and compliant regime.
What explains lower allocation under Modi’s flagship scheme for farmers PM-Kisan?
The overall budget for the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare has been reduced by about 8.5 per cent or about Rs 11,382 crore.
Economic Survey bats for farm laws, says small & marginal farmers will no longer be ‘enslaved’
2020-21 survey also says agriculture, the only sector with positive growth in Q1 & Q2, can fuel India’s post-pandemic economic recovery.
Market linkage, value addition, research — what Modi govt can do for farm sector in Budget
Govt has taken many steps towards PM Modi’s stated goal of doubling farmers’ income by 2022, but the attempts haven’t made much of a difference.
Save Punjab from desertification, move paddy-wheat to UP, Bihar, Bengal — agronomist SS Johl
93-year-old Dr Johl explains why Punjab has been in an agrarian crisis for years, and how the lives of its stressed farmers can be made easier.
Is Neera Tanden a ‘cancel culture’ victim? Wrong question
Tanden’s defeat doesn't ask the broader question of how tolerant our culture is but focuses on how you shouldn't insult a group of thin-skinned people if you may need their support.
New Umbrella Entity is the new digital payments race as Amazon, Google, Facebook jump in
The companies are part of four consortia preparing to apply for licenses to operate retail payments and settlement systems, with more firms banding together before a 31 March deadline.
Defence
Self-reliance in defence, cyber challenges in focus at Combined Commanders’ meet starting today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the Combined Commanders’ Conference, which will be held in Gujarat between 4 and 6 March.
Habeas Porcus — how our judiciary is murdering the principle of ‘bail, not jail’ routinely
Judiciary is responsible for ensuring our liberty, and habeas corpus is the usual route. But magistrates are acting as if the rule is ‘jail, and bail is above my pay grade’.