Here is what is making news on a Sunday morning.
35% of what Indians eat today is 'foreign'
Most of us know that exotic new veggies and grains like kale and quinoa are "imported" but even ordinary staples like potato, onion, tomato and chilli came from elsewhere, reports Subodh Varma.
A study of 177 countries by scientists from the International Center of Tropical Agriculture has found that in India, more than a third of all food items derived from plants -grains, vegetables, fruits, spices, oils, sugar etc. -originated and developed elsewhere, and came to this subcontinent by trade or migration over centuries. In terms of ca lorific value, such `foreign' origin foods make up 45% of the national food production.It's not just India. At the global level, 66% of calories consumed are derived from foreign origin foods on an average as is 71% of production.
(Reported by Times of India)
Scotland starts drive to stay in EU, may vote again on UK exit
Scotland's devolved government will start a drive to protect its European Union membership and will prepare for a possible fresh independence vote after Britain voted to exit the bloc, first minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Saturday .
On Thursday , Britain voted to leave EU, but Scotland voted by 62% to 38% to rema in. Sturgeon said Scotland would not allow its EU membership to be taken away without exploring all possibilities. “We will seek to enter into immediate talks with EU to protect Scotland's place in the EU,“ she said.
(Reported by Times of India)
Another Maharashtra minister, Ravindra Waikar, under graft cloud
Three weeks after Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse was forced to quit in the face of allegations of conflict of interest in a land deal in Pune, there are allegations of similar impropriety against Minister of State for Housing, Ravindra Waikar.
Two weeks after the Shiv Sena joined the BJP government, the minister, who is the Sena MLA from Jogeshwari East in Mumbai, lobbied with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to lift a ban on construction activity in the vicinity of the Jogeshwari caves, a protected national monument in his constituency.
(Reported by The Indian Express)
Under ED heat, Robert Vadra’s firm sheds pvt ltd tag
BARELY A month before the Enforcement Directorate issued a notice under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd, owned by Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra, he had converted the private limited company to a limited liability partnership (LLP).
Private limited companies need to comply with extensive regulatory requirements, but a limited liability partnership only needs to file its annual returns and statements of account and solvency.
(Reported by The Indian Express)
India, Pakistan must work together, says Abdul Basit
Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit Saturday said India and Pakistan must work together to have a “tension-free” and “cooperative” relationship. Basit made the statement during an Iftaar party he hosted at the High Commission. Jama Masjid’s Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari was among those present on the occasion.
(Reported by The Indian Express)
Thesis cheats beware as academic plagiarism being made legal offence
The government plans to bring in a law to stop rampant plagiarism in academia, with punishment ranging from a warning to deregistration in the case of students and dismissal from service for teachers.
Higher education regulator University Grants Commission (UGC) is finalising a draft law — the first of its kind— that is likely to be sent to the human resource development ministry for further action by June-end. Official sources said the government intends to seek parliamentary approval for the law this year itself.
(Reported by Hindustan Times)
Men don’t fancy Swachh toilets even if available
Indian men are less likely to use toilets than women, even if they have access to one, a five-state study by market research firm IMRB and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has found, in what could be bad news for the government’s flagship Swachh Bharat mission.
The study, commissioned by the urban development ministry, looked at the toilet habits of 4,400 urban poor households in 30 districts of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, O dish a and Tamil Na du between August and October 2015.
(Reported by Hindustan Times)
PM Modi laments shifting of IPL matches out of Maharashtra
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said the Maharashtra government suffered a loss after IPL matches were moved out of the state because the media “created a controversy” around water wastage.
"The media created the controversy and everyone believed that if there is no cricket match, there would be no use of water in the stadiums," Modi said while speaking at a function in the city to mark the first anniversary of the Smart City Mission, where he launched a slew of smart city projects.
(Reported by The Indian Express)
Ruby Rai flunks retest, Bihar Class XII Arts topper taken into custody
The Bihar State Examination Board Class XII Arts topper Ruby Rai was taken into custody by Patna Police’s Special Investigation Team soon after she failed a re-test at the board’s office Saturday.
The student who had achieved infamy after describing political science as “prodigal science” soon after the declaration of the Class XII results, was asked about a dozen questions from the syllabus by a seven-member expert committee of the board. Samples of her handwriting were also taken.
(Reported by The Indian Express)
Gulbarga ragging case: ‘Victim consumed toilet cleaner after fight with senior’
The 18-year-old student of Al Qamar Nursing College in Karnataka’s Gulbarga region, who is in hospital after suffering severe damage to her organs, had consumed a toilet-cleaning liquid after a fight with her senior Lakshmi Pillai on May 9, police investigation has revealed.
Pillai was arrested on Friday night with two other students, Athira Reji and Krishnapriya, on charges of ragging K P Ashwathy, a first-year Dalit student hailing from Kerala. Shilpa Joe, another student named in the complaint lodged by Ashwathy’s family is not in Gulbarga and is likely to be arrested once she returns.
(Reported by The Indian Express)
Dutee defies odds, sprints her way to Rio
Sprinter Dutee Chand on Saturday scripted history by qualifying for the Rio Olympics in the 100m sprint by clocking 11.30 seconds at a meet in Ka zakhstan, reports Sujit Bosoyi.
The daughter of a poor weaver, Dutee is the second Indian woman to qualify for 100m after P T Usha in 1980. In 2014, Dutee was pulled out of the CWG squad because of high testosterone levels.
(Reported by Hindustan Times)
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