Professor Dinesh Mohan of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) New Delhi was right on the mark. Speaking in New Delhi last week, his understanding of the socio-economic reasons behind the so-called neo-liberal assault on higher education made me think. He is so right.

Amidst all the raging controversy and debates over wasted grains and hungry people, the Supreme Court has certainly created quite a flutter by asking the government to provide foodgrains free to the poor than to allow it to rot. This verdict, although not practically implementable, did show the urgency and in many ways reflected what an average citizen would say [...]

It is time for a commercial break now.
I take this opportunity to introduce my new book – Bhookh Ka Asli Chehra (The Real Face of Hunger) — published in Hindi. It has still not been formally launched, but I received an advance copy from the publishers yesterday.

In the dense fog blanket that covers up entire north India, the only bright spot was a four column news report on the back page of The Hindu today (3.1.2010).  Titled: “Call for moratorium on GM Foods” the news report from the ongoing Mararikulam Brinjal Festival being held in Kerala did cheer me up.
Mararikulam is a small panchayat [...]

ಆಹಾರ ಮತ್ತು ವ್ಯಾಪಾರ ನೀತಿ ತಜ್ಞ ಶ್ರೀ ದೇವಿಂದರ್ ಶರ್ಮರವರ ಲೇಖನಗಳನ್ನು ಮಿತ್ರಮಾಧ್ಯಮವು ಇನ್ನುಮುಂದೆ ನಿಯಮಿತವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಲಿದೆ ಎಂದು ತಿಳಿಸಲು ನನಗೆ ತುಂಬಾ ಸಂತೋಷವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

India’s Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh. He is trying to cover-up the lapses on the part of GEAC in according environment clearance to India’s first genetically modified food crop — Bt brinjal

In what appears to be a massive cover-up operation for the scientific swindle perpetrated in the case of the controversial approval granted by the Genetic Engineering [...]

When the going gets tough, the loser’s panic. And the desperation grows.
Well, this is the story of the duo — Dr Ron Herring (from Cornell) and Dr Shantu Shantaram — doing the rounds across the country on behalf of the GM industry. After the New Delhi panel discussion organised by the Institute of Economic Growth on Dec [...]