Bitter sugar

Sugarcane farmers are the losers as Uttar Pradesh government, mill owners strike a deal

Seed bill retake

Monitor seed prices, not just quality, say farmer groups  

Dissent on Seeds Bill

Kerala and Bihar want amendments

Old mandate, new law

Agricultural Biosecurity Bill 2013 does not offer much to save India from bio-terror

Will seeds bill make it this time?

Opposition parties say the draft is still not farmer-friendly

Stage set for GM crops

Centre hastily tables Bill on biotech regulation in Parliament

Legislation for a few

Benefits of the Act that encourages conservation of plants reach few farmers

Labels must for GM food

Industry clueless about implementing labelling rule; FSSAI dithers over regulations

‘BRAI will benefit both private and public sectors’

Introduction of the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill has brought cheers to the agri-biotechnology industry that was facing …

More bite, less to chew

The most controversial aspect of the food security law is the restructuring of the public distribution system to cover an unprecedented 67 per …

Difficult to digest

After much debate, the Cabinet cleared the food security bill. Will it really ensure food for every Indian?

Is new land bill up to mark?

Draft land bill proposes higher compensation for land acquisitions, but complaints persist  

One-sided deal

Contract farming is increasing in India, but laws are not in place to protect farmers  

Benefit interrupted

Biodiversity authority prepares a weak draft of guidelines on access and benefit sharing of natural resources

Act of omission

Public institutions do not seek permission from the biodiversity authority before genetically manipulating crops

Bringing order to streets

Centre legalises street vending and gives the profession its due respect. But accommodating vendors is a challenge

Punjab's paddy dilemma

In 2009, Punjab became the first state in the country to enact a law banning the sowing of rice before a stipulated date. The aim was to arrest …

Who is watching GM crops?

As India gets ready to unleash a vast number of genetically modified (GM) food crops, politicians have joined activists in opposing engineered …