Introduction Agrarian distress has been a persistent challenge in India, with stagnating farm incomes and rising farmer indebtedness in recent decades. In response, policymakers have increasingly turned to direct income support (DIS) schemes for farmers. Unlike traditional subsidies or loan waivers, these
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After nearly 20 years of debate, court battles, seed failures, and rising input costs, India’s seed legislation is once again at a crossroads with the release of the Draft Seeds Bill 2025. The first national draft appeared in 2004, resurfaced in 2019,
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1. Background: FPOs and Cooperatives in India Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and cooperatives are collective enterprises of small and marginal farmers that seek to improve their bargaining power, lower transaction costs, and strengthen their access to markets, credit, and technology. 2. Income
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Introduction: The Promise and the Paradox India today hosts one of the largest organic farming networks in the world — with over 2.8 million hectares under certified organic cultivation and nearly 45 lakh farmers involved. Yet, despite these achievements, our certification systems
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1. The Growing Challenge Rice sustains more than half of the world’s population and is a cornerstone of food security. Yet, as climate extremes intensify and input-intensive farming expands, an old agronomic challenge has re-emerged: lodging — the bending or collapse of
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With India’s current recorded food grain production and the latest population, it is possible for the country to broadly meet the recommended dietary intake set by ICMR for every individual, but distribution challenges, food diversity, and nutrition quality gaps still pose risks
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Reductionism in science and the belief systems of religion are significantly shape the course of Indian agriculture, often fueling polarized narratives that impact policy and farm-level practice. This is happening in a context where farming and food systems are facing significant challenges
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Across sectors—business, nonprofits, academia, and grassroots movements—the same tragedy unfolds. Founders ignite with vision, courage, and the willingness to risk everything. Funders arrive with resources, but their money comes tied to demands, conditions, and control. Slowly, the founder’s dream is reshaped to
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As I approach 60, I struggle with a dilemma—should I step aside to let the younger generation bring in new energy and updated knowledge, or should I continue holding on in the name of experience and wisdom? This dilemma became sharper when
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One teacher says, the sun is a planet.Another declares, the sun is a god.I stare at the exam paper,and wonder—do you want the truth,or the answer that pleases you? You tell me, both are right.You teach me to live in contradictions,to bow
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