Reportage
Farmers in Himachal Pradesh take to cultivating saffron
Saffron farming, mostly limited to Kashmir, has now commenced in the districts of Kinnaur, Chamba, Mandi, Kullu, and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh. The climate in these districts is ideal for ‘kesar’ cultivation and the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology in Palampur, is training the Himachali farmers for it.
Divendra Singh
With vaccine hesitancy cast aside, rural residents of Unnao and Barabanki in UP throng vaccination centres but return empty handed
Just a month back, there were reports of vaccine hesitancy in rural Uttar Pradesh and the state govt was working hard to quell it. Now villagers are travelling long distances but despite making several trips, are not receiving the vaccine, they complain. Details here.
Sumit Yadav
2 out of 3 persons in Tamil Nadu developed antibodies against COVID19, finds serosurvey
The latest serosurvey in Tamil Nadu shows 66.2 per cent of the population in the state have developed antibodies against the coronavirus. Are the declining phase of COVID19 second wave and intense vaccination the reasons? Details here.
Gaon Connection
Centre asks states to prioritise COVID19 vaccination for beggars, homeless destitutes
The central government has directed all the states and Union Territories to prioritise vaccination for beggars, vagabonds, and homeless people. A targeted approach could be adopted to cover those who may not have access to self-registration and lack resources for vaccination.
Gaon Connection
Dengue on the rise in Odisha, 500 cases recorded in capital Bhubaneswar
Amid the rainy season, the mosquito-borne viral infection is on the rise in the state. At least 500 dengue cases have been reported in the capital Bhubneswar and hospitals in the state are directed to open separate dengue wards.
Gaon Connection
‘Compulsory food fortification is wasteful, ineffective and potentially harmful to human health’
While the Indian government has proposed compulsory fortification of rice with iron under its PDS and mid-day meal schemes, public health and nutrition experts warn that unnecessary food fortification can do more harm than good. A new research paper offers a word of caution.
Shivani Gupta
UP ambulance strike Day 5: GVK asks 102, 108 service drivers to return to work; state govt warns of ‘strict action’
On the fifth day of the ambulance strike in Uttar Pradesh, the drivers from various districts continued to protest against the allegedly unfair employment conditions while the private company urged them to return to work. Also, CM Adityanath has warned of strict action if patients die due to unavailability of ambulances. Details here.
Gaon Connection
With the stroke of a pen, hundreds of landless tribal farmers in Mirzapur left high and dry
Adivasi farmers in Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh, left in the lurch as the irrigation department declared all pattas for cultivation of land near Sirsi dam null and void from March 31, this year. It abruptly brought to a close their only source of livelihood for generations.
Brijendra Dubey
Close to a million severely acute malnourished children in India; Uttar Pradesh worst affected: Smriti Irani informs Rajya Sabha
In her reply to a question raised on the status of malnutrition amongst the children in India, the Union Minister of Women and Child Development stated that 927,606 children across the country are affected by severely acute malnutrition.
Gaon Connection
Delhi High Court issues notice to Ramdev for his remarks on allopathy
The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to yoga practitioner and Patanjali founder Ramdev for his remarks on allopathy and modern medicine. Two weeks back, a petition was also filed by the Resident Doctors Association of AIIMS in this regard. Details here.