Why Punjab stands to lose from farmers’ produce trade and commerce ordinance

Instead of putting Punjab farmers at the mercy of big corporates and private players, there is a need to strengthen existing infrastructure 

'Indian firms most responsible in CSR'

Countries look at India as a leader to emulate, says philathropist RUTH A SHAPIRO in an interview to Down To Earth. Edited excerpts:

Hypocrisy of the west

A legitimate tool to meet any public health crisis, rich countries, particularly the US, have resolutely opposed its deployment by developing …

The last line of defence: Indigenous rights and Adani's land deal

An Indigenous group is bringing legal action against Adani, which may create a roadblock to building infrastructure around Carmichael coal mine

Seeds of decline

Frequent pest attacks, rising seed costs and declining returns are forcing farmers to abandon India's first genetically modified (GM) crop, Bt …

Bayer-Monsanto deal likely to create another agribusiness giant

If cleared by regulators, such big-ticket consolidations will dominate the world’s seed and pesticide sales

'Failing to support GM crops single most damaging element for growth'

The European Association for Bio-Industries (EuropaBio) says the decision by 16 EU nations to opt out of GMO crop cultivation has taken away the …

Tibetan landscape may soon disappear

In the 1980s, when very few people visited Tibet, Michael Buckley, an Australian settled in Canada, wrote the first Lonely Planet guide to the …

WTO gives India a clean chit

Apex trade regulator finds nothing amiss in India's intellectual property laws after exhaustive review

Right diagnosis, wrong pills

While the Centre has rightfully recognised medical devices as a separate category for policy making, its decision to allow 100 per cent foreign …

Foreign Vedanta funds Cong, BJP

Delhi High Court directs government to take action against the parties within six months

Trans Pacific squeeze

The Trans Pacific Partnership is a mega trade deal that closes the doors for India's trade options

Two-minute wake-up call

Nestle's resistance to the nationwide ban on Maggi noodles shows why the country needs an urgent policy on recall of harmful food products

Cyber dystopia

Novel>>The Circle • by David Eggers • Alfred Knopf • Kindle Edition • US $9.99

WHO's problem

As most developed countries shy away from increasing their contribution, a cash-strapped World Health Organization is forced to rely on private …

Classroom: A cold response

Rotten tomato for Monsanto

US biotech giant's claim on a natural tomato is its latest patent to be revoked by Europe after soy and wheat

Patent hypocrisies of US

American business lobbies are spreading falsehoods about India’s patent policies—and glossing over their double standards

Moily bats for GM trials

After he revives regulatory body for GM crops, industry demands removal of state clearances

A rather ridiculous gap

Clothing giant Gap’s trademark infringement notice to an NGO selling products made from recycled waste is a curious case

G8 and tragedy of Africa

Rich nations are forcing African states to change laws to facilitate private investment in agriculture in a replay of colonial adventurism

Testing the CL route

Roche’s Herceptin will be a test case for government and generics industry as India readies to issue compulsory licences for life-saving drugs

A treaty too many

India is learning that there is a heavy price to be paid for the large number of bilateral investment treaties, or BITs, it has signed in the …