Ruchika Chitravanshi &Amp; Sanjeeb Mukherjee

Stories by Ruchika Chitravanshi &Amp; Sanjeeb Mukherjee

Monsoon surge in August may lead to crop damage

Monsoon surge in August may lead to crop damage

Rediff.com   22 Aug 2020

Reports said that in Telangana and Karnataka, excessive rains the past 10 days has threatened the standing green gram and maize crops and could negatively impact yields if the skies don't open up. But in the north-west and central parts of India, the resurgence of monsoon could not have come at a better time as oilseeds and pulses crops would otherwise had weathered if the rains didn't revive in August.

Companies allowed to extend AGMs by up to 3 months

Companies allowed to extend AGMs by up to 3 months

Rediff.com   20 Aug 2020

Indian companies are required to hold AGMs within six months of closure of the financial year.

How Covid-19 moved India from milk shortage to glut in a few months

How Covid-19 moved India from milk shortage to glut in a few months

Rediff.com   20 Aug 2020

The restrictions imposed in March led to a sharp slump in demand from bulk consumers like hotels, restaurants, and roadside tea stalls, as they were forced to shut down. Sales of major milk products such as ice-cream, butter milk, and cheese, which usually spike during summer, also dropped.

Job creation will be a big challenge in urban India

Job creation will be a big challenge in urban India

Rediff.com   17 Aug 2020

The situation could become more acute as millions of migrants who had returned to their villages during the lockdown come back to the towns for higher wages and better livelihoods.

What are locusts? And why are they such a big menace?

What are locusts? And why are they such a big menace?

Rediff.com   5 Aug 2020

Swarms of immature pink locusts and adult yellow locusts are currrently active. Not only are fresh locusts swarms expected to arrive in the coming weeks, but even those already present in India have mated and are breeding new offspring.

Covid-19 crisis: Revival in rural demand overstated, say economists

Covid-19 crisis: Revival in rural demand overstated, say economists

Rediff.com   3 Aug 2020

Much of the rural recovery story is based on the premise of agriculture doing well. Even if it clocks a growth of 2.5-3 per cent this year, it is still just around 15 per cent of the overall GDP. The non-farm sector, which constitutes a bigger portion of the overall rural economy, is now hampered by disruptions and lockdowns.

Covid-19 impact: Job scheme planned for urban poor, migrants

Covid-19 impact: Job scheme planned for urban poor, migrants

Rediff.com   2 Aug 2020

The plan could mature into either an umbrella programme for urban youths similar to the Garib Kalyan Rozgaar Abhiyaan or a modified urban-focused version of MGNREGS.

Rainfall in Aug, Sep to be normal, says IMD

Rainfall in Aug, Sep to be normal, says IMD

Rediff.com   1 Aug 2020

The met department said that rainfall in August is projected to be within the normal range at 97% of LPA. In August and September, India receives around 43 mm of rainfall.

As labourers get jobs in farms, MGNREGA work demand drops

As labourers get jobs in farms, MGNREGA work demand drops

Rediff.com   1 Aug 2020

However, demand was still much higher compared to the previous years, underlining the scheme's vital role in providing employment to the rural poor, a vast majority of whom are migrants.

Covid-19: Testing times for plasma banks

Covid-19: Testing times for plasma banks

Rediff.com   30 Jul 2020

While the process of extracting plasma itself is simple, doctors say that it is the screening of donors, testing and filling up of numerous forms that takes time.

For milk cooperatives, it's a problem of plenty

For milk cooperatives, it's a problem of plenty

Rediff.com   29 Jul 2020

The demand for milk and milk products slumped during the Covid-19 lockdown mainly from hotels, restaurants, sweetmeat shops which were shut to control the spread of the disease.

Monsoon gains wiped off on scanty July rains

Monsoon gains wiped off on scanty July rains

Rediff.com   29 Jul 2020

Between June 1 and July 28, about 32 per cent of the 685 districts in the country did not receive adequate rainfall.

Swachh Bharat man, Param Iyer calls it a day as sanitation secy

Swachh Bharat man, Param Iyer calls it a day as sanitation secy

Rediff.com   28 Jul 2020

Iyer, popularly called Param, is keen to return to the US where he had spent several years working with the World Bank at its Washington office -- a job he later quit to become road manager for his daughter, a professional tennis player.

COVID-19: Lessons to be learnt from Delhi, Mumbai

COVID-19: Lessons to be learnt from Delhi, Mumbai

Rediff.com   27 Jul 2020

The two cities finally got their act together by ramping up the testing capacity and implementing stricter quarantine norms.

India may see wave of peaks in COVID-19 cases

India may see wave of peaks in COVID-19 cases

Rediff.com   20 Jul 2020

Many experts feel the concept of a national peak is nebulous, given that the growth in case numbers is dominated by a handful of states.

Drop in health expenditure amid pandemic surprises experts

Drop in health expenditure amid pandemic surprises experts

Rediff.com   18 Jul 2020

The ministry of health and family welfare spent Rs 3,948 crore in May this year compared to Rs 7,816 crore in the corresponding month of the previous year. On the other hand, at Rs 12,930 crore, the expenditure had risen almost 200 per cent in April against Rs 4,327 crore in the corresponding month of 2019-20.

How chana saved govt's plan to distribute free pulses

How chana saved govt's plan to distribute free pulses

Rediff.com   17 Jul 2020

Distributing chana is easier than other varieties of pulses as it only requires cleaning and sorting and can be consumed whole; it was also abundantly available with Nafed.

Will govt's move to limit use of herbicide glyphosate hit India's food security?

Will govt's move to limit use of herbicide glyphosate hit India's food security?

Rediff.com   10 Jul 2020

Kerala, Punjab, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are among the major agriculturally important states that have banned the use of glyphosate citing its adverse impact on human health.

Where's the Covid-19 data, ask scientists

Where's the Covid-19 data, ask scientists

Rediff.com   6 Jul 2020

Epidemiologists worry there's little or no data being shared on mortality by age group and contacts traced, which makes it difficult to understand how the effects of Covid-19 might be different in the Indian population, reports Ruchika Chitravanshi

Kharif crop sowing picks up pace as monsoon moves in

Kharif crop sowing picks up pace as monsoon moves in

Rediff.com   27 Jun 2020

Data from department of agriculture showed that kharif crops had been sown in around 31.56 million hectares till Friday, which was 104.25 per cent more than the same period last year. Acreage of almost all crops was higher than last year.