Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>Bangladesh has appealed to the Indian government to withdraw the ban imposed on <keyword id="6484394" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Onion-export">onion export</keyword> as soon as possible, keeping the import flow of <keyword id="50894" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Onion">onion</keyword> from India uninterrupted </li><li>Veteran Indian politician and Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar has also requested the Indian government to lift ban on onion exports, saying "this decision has led to strong reactions from the onion growing belt in Maharashtra". </li><li>The ban jeopardises India's export share in the onion markets of Gulf countries, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, he tweeted.</li></ul>Bangladesh has appealed to the Indian government to withdraw the ban imposed on onion export as soon as possible, keeping the import flow of onion from India uninterrupted. State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam said on Tuesday: "We are expecting a positive result soon in this regard, Dhaka has requested New Delhi to revoke its ban on onion export as India earlier had made an 'unofficial' pledge to Bangladesh of a continuing supply of onion here." The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) of India on Monday issued a notification imposing restrictions on onion export with immediate effect. This decision has posed a negative impact on onion markets in Bangladesh. Veteran Indian politician and Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar has also requested the Indian government to lift ban on onion exports, saying "this decision has led to strong reactions from the onion growing belt in Maharashtra". The ban jeopardises India's export share in the onion markets of Gulf countries, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, he tweeted. Alam said there is an "unwritten" understanding between Bangladesh and India that New Delhi would not impose a ban on onion export and if New Delhi takes such a decision, they would inform Dhaka beforehand. Being informed about India government's decision of imposing ban on onion export last night, the State Minister said Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi has raised the issue to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs immediately. Alam also added that the Commerce ministry of Bangladesh is looking into the onion import issue. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/-indias-surging-covid-19-infections-is-testing-the-health-infra-once-again/articleshow/78143000.cms">India’s surging COVID-19 infections is testing the health infra once again — beds added during lockdown aren’t enough</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/we-wont-have-enough-covid-19-vaccine-for-everybody-until-2024-warns-worlds-largest-vaccine-producer/articleshow/78111779.cms">We won't have enough COVID-19 vaccine for everybody until 2024, warns world's largest vaccine producer</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/amid-india-china-standoff-tencent-is-back-with-an-investment-in-flipkart/articleshow/78140794.cms">Amid India-China standoff, Tencent is back with an investment in Flipkart</a>

Bangladesh requests India to withdraw ban on onion export

<ul><li>Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> on May 18 announced the last tranche of the ₹20 lakh crore stimulus package. </li><li>The economic stimulus package included measures like free food grains, hike in foreign direct investment for defence, liquidity measures for MSMEs, amended in Essential Commodities Act, increase in public expenditure in health, among others. </li><li>While the Narendra Modi government promised to allocate 10% of the GDP, the Reserve Bank of India’s measures accounts for nearly half the economic package. </li></ul>Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on May 18 announced the last tranche of the ₹20 lakh crore Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan economic package to fight the coronavirus pandemic led economic slowdown in the country. However, while the Narendra Modi government promised to allocate 10% of the GDP, nearly half of the stimulus package is spent by the Reserve Bank of India. Global investment bank <keyword id="6361649" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Goldman-Sachs">Goldman Sachs</keyword> said that most of the reforms announced by the Indian government will have an impact in the medium term while the short term may see a "deeper recession", and added that the country's real GDP growth may fall 5% in the current financial year ending March 2020. The economic stimulus package included measures like free food grains, hike in foreign direct investment for defence, liquidity measures for MSMEs, amendments in Essential Commodities Act, increase in public expenditure in health, among others. Whereas, the RBI package included measures like moratorium on loan repayments for all borrowers,and interest rate cut etc. “RBI has announced ₹9 lakh crore plus, but the actual money utilised (so far) is ₹8 lakh crore,” FM Nirmala Sitharaman said while explaining the break-up of the stimulus package. PM Narendra Modi said the package was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/pm-modi-promises-to-please-everyone-with-his-stimulus-package/articleshow/75701113.cms">designed keeping in mind</a> factors like land, labour, liquidity and laws. Here’s a breakdown of India’s ₹20 lakh crore stimulus package: <div type="image" title="overall" msid="75798397" hostid="261"></div> The first tranche worth ₹5.94 lakh crore provided a credit line to small businesses and support to shadow banks and electricity distribution companies <div type="image" title="tranche 1" msid="75798413" hostid="261"></div> There <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/breaking-down-modi-20-lakh-crore-stimulus-rbi-and-finance-ministry-steps-land-and-labour-laws/articleshow/75709001.cms">were 15 measures,</a> of which 6 were for MSMEs. The definition of SMEs was changed and the investment limit to qualify as MSMEs was raised. During the first tranche, Sitharaman announced ₹3 lakh crore collateral-free automatic loans for businesses. Apart from this, the government also increased the deadline for<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/benefits-for-real-estate-sector-in-finance-minister-20-lakh-crore-stimulus-package/articleshow/75719588.cms"> real estate projects. </a> The second tranche included free foodgrains to stranded migrant workers for two months and credit to farmers, totalling ₹3.10 lakh crore <div type="image" title="tranche 2" msid="75798427" hostid="261"></div> There were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/finance-minister-nirmala-sitharaman-top-news-and-highlights-may-14/articleshow/75736580.cms">nine announcements in all in the second tranch</a>e of the stimulus package which focussed on migrant workers, small traders, small farmers etc. The government announced free food grain supply to migrant workers for 2 months. A National portability of ration cards — One Nation, One Ration card — was announced which allowed people to take ration from any public distribution unit in the country. The third tranche was worth ₹1,50,000 crore and focused on farming and related activities <div type="image" title="tranche 3" msid="75798441" hostid="261"></div> Sitharaman promised to allocate money and quickly ramp up policies in these spaces. The government allocated ₹1 lakh crore to strengthen farm-gate infrastructure. The government said the Essential Commodities Act <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/finance-minister-nirmala-sitharaman-live-updates-from-third-tranche-modi-20-lakh-crore-stimulus/articleshow/75756781.cms">will be amended</a> to deregulate prices of cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions, potatoes etc. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/ashok-gulati-interview-on-essential-commodities-act-and-apmc-changes/articleshow/75760364.cms">According to Ashok Gulati</a>, former chairman of Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), this will allow market prices to prevail over essential commodities. The government also removed stock limit imposed on processors or value chain participants or any exporter subject to export demand, The fourth and fifth tranches that dealt mostly with structural reforms were worth ₹48,100 crore <div type="image" title="tranche 4 and 5" msid="75798458" hostid="261"></div> The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/finance-minister-nirmala-sitharaman-live-updates-from-third-tranche-modi-20-lakh-crore-stimulus/articleshow/75756781.cms">reform</a>s focused on coal, minerals, defence production, civil aviation, power distribution in Union Territories, space and atomic energy. India opened up more of its airspace for airlines, and also decided to put 6 airports up for auction. The government said<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/indigo-spicejet-adani-gmr-gvk-share-price-may-gain-after-civil-aviation-reforms/articleshow/75775888.cms"> airlines will fly on shorter routes</a> which would save ₹1,000 crore a year. Separately, the government allowed startups in the space sector to use resources of Indian Space Research Organisation. In the fifth <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/finance-minister-nirmala-sitharaman-final-stimulus-plan-to-boost-gdp-of-india/articleshow/75784571.cms">tranche the government added ₹40,000 crore budget allocation</a> in the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). However, according to a financial services company Nomura, the minimum wage job may be a temporary relief and once the lockdown is over, urban businesses will struggle with the shortage of labour. Several experts have criticised the government’s latest economic package and said it is inadequate to provide immediate relief to the distressed part of the society. “The package may fall short of mitigating the near-term existential crisis for businesses and workers, but is better designed to improve India’s medium-term growth potential and attract long-term risk capital. As a consequence, we maintain our GDP growth projection for 2020 at -5% y-o-y,” Noaura, a global market research firm said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-among-58-nations-questioning-who-on-covid-19-response/articleshow/75797251.cms">India among 58 nations questioning WHO on COVID-19 response</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/lockdown-4-0-india-issues-new-guidelines-allowing-states-to-decide-the-red-green-and-orange-zones/articleshow/75790707.cms">Lockdown 4.0 ⁠— India issues new guidelines allowing states to decide the red, green, and orange zones</a>

Here's a breakup of Narendra Modi's ₹20 lakh crore stimulus⁠— RBI measures make up for nearly half of it

In a bid to contain <keyword id="2928960" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="price-rise-of-onions">price rise of onions</keyword>, the Indian Government extended the ban on holding its stock beyond permissible limit by one year. 
 The <keyword id="120170" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cabinet-Committee-on-Economic-Affairs">Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs</keyword> (CCEA), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took the decision, which empowers states to impose stock limits on traders for holding onion and ban hoarding beyond the set limit. 
 
"The CCEA today approved the stock holding limit order on onion by another year. This will enable state governments take effective de-hoarding measures under the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), 1955," sources told news agency PTI. 
 
The direction comes in wake of rising prices of onions in wholesale and retail markets. The prices are increasing due to sluggish supply of good quality onions. 
 
Also, to curb spike in onion prices in upcoming days due to supply shortage, the government has already increased the minimum export price of the commodity to $425 per tonne and is also planning to import some quantities of onions to boost domestic availability, reported PTI. 
 
Apart from onions, pulses, edible oils, oilseeds, rice and paddy also come under the ambit of stock holding limits order. 
 
As per the data provided by the Government, India's onion production is estimated to have declined to 189.23 lakh tonnes in the 2014-15 crop year, as against 194 lakh tonnes in the previous year. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Ban on hoarding onions beyond ceiling extended by one year

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Tanzanian <keyword id="2540" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="President">President</keyword> John Magufuli has not been seen for 17 days, prompting rumors about his <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword>.</li><li>Magufuli declared <keyword id="89578" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tanzania">Tanzania</keyword> Covid-free last May and stopped releasing data. He has rejected vaccines.</li><li>Media reports and claims from an opposition figure have fed rumors he is gravely ill with Covid-19.</li></ul>Dar es Salaam - Tanzanian President John Magufuli, <keyword id="12925" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Africa">Africa</keyword>'s most prominent Covid-19 denier, disappeared from public sight 17 days ago. Now, he is widely rumored to be seriously ill with the same virus that he has dismissed and downplayed over the past year.Last May, Magufuli <a href="https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/covid-19-magufuli-declares-three-days-of-national-prayers-1440048">declared</a> that "Tanzania has beaten coronavirus" after ordering three days of national prayer. The president abruptly stopped updating the number of cases, and assured foreign tourists that Tanzania's game parks and Indian Ocean resorts were open for business, leading to a wave of travel <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-tanzania">advisories</a> cautioning travelers to avoid the country. Since then, he has scoffed at wearing masks, criticized regional neighbours for imposing lockdowns, and rejected coronavirus vaccines until his government independently verifies them. In early January, Magufuli told the visiting Chinese foreign affairs minister, Wang Yi, that "there is no coronavirus in Tanzania." Then, after appearing at an event in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam on Feb. 24, Magufuli disappeared from public view. This week, the leading newspaper in neighboring Kenya, the Daily Nation, <a href="https://allafrica.com/stories/202103100050.html">wrote</a>: "The leader of an African country who has not appeared in public for nearly two weeks is admitted to Nairobi Hospital for Covid-19 treatment, even as his government remains mum on his whereabouts." Within hours, speculation was rife that Magufuli had been secretly flown to Nairobi for emergency medical attention and later airlifted for treatment in India. Insider has not been able to confirm these reports. "Latest update from Nairobi," Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu <a href="https://twitter.com/TunduALissu/status/1369790208913313793">tweeted</a> this week.Contacted by Insider, Lissu repeated the claim but did not provide evidence. "Over the past month, the country has lost university professors, army generals, doctors, lawyers, engineers and other professionals of high public standing," Lissu told Insider. "It is highly irresponsible, and in my view criminal, for the president to continue to deny the presence of coronavirus, spurn international help and repudiate the vaccines."Scores of Tanzanians and neighbouring Kenyans have taken to social media to demand answers, with the hashtag #WhereIsMagufuli trending on Twitter in both countries. On Friday, government officials addressed the rumor for the first time and insisted that Magufuli was alive and well, but offered no proof. <div type="image" title="TZ Dar " height="3333" width="5000" msid="81487325" hostid="261"></div>"President Magufuli is in good health and continues to carry on with his normal duties," Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said in a statement from his office. "I spoke to him (Magufuli) today and he sends his greetings to you," Majaliwa insisted. In a separate announcement, the commissioner of the southern Tanzanian region of Mbeya, Albert Chalamila, told journalists on Friday: "I spoke with President John Magufuli on the phone this morning ... he is very strong and is continuing with his job."<h2>"WE WANT AN EXPLANATION, NOT THREATS" </h2>Tanzania confirmed its first coronavirus case in March 2020, but a month later Magufuli - who has a PhD in chemistry - questioned the accuracy of the test results. Cumulative cases had reached 480 people and 16 had been reported dead from the coronavirus by April 29, but Magufuli ordered the country's Health Ministry to stop releasing updates. On Feb. 27, three days after his last public appearance, the government announced that Magufuli had presided over the swearing in of a senior public official and attended a virtual regional summit for the East African Community (EAC) trade bloc. It was later revealed that Magufuli did not, in fact, attend the EAC summit after all, and was instead represented by his Vice President, Samia Suluhu Hassan. Since then, Magufuli has remained conspicuously absent from public view, missing his customary Sunday church attendance for two consecutive weeks, an oddity for the devout Catholic.<div type="image" title="TZ Mourners Zanzibar" height="4000" width="6000" msid="81487330" hostid="261"></div>On the streets of Dar es Salaam, Magufuli's unexplained absence has been a source of both concern and frustration for many city residents. "Instead of telling us the truth about Magufuli's whereabouts, government ministers have been issuing threats against social media users. We want an explanation, not threats," Innocent Mushi, a taxi driver, told Insider. The death last month of Zanzibar's first vice president, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-17/zanzibar-s-vice-president-maalim-seif-sharif-hamad-dies">Seif Sharif Hamad</a>, days after he announced he was hospitalized with the virus, and the death of Magufuli's chief secretary at State House and head of the civil service, John Kijazi, from an unspecified illness exposed what many worries was the true extent of the pandemic."I renew my call for Tanzania to start reporting COVID-19 cases and share data," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement on Feb. 20. "I also call on Tanzania to implement the public health measures that we know work in breaking the chains of transmission, and to prepare for vaccination."There have been reports of local hospitals being overrun by patients displaying Covid-19 symptoms, and shortages of critical care beds, oxygen and ventilators across major towns and cities in the country. The government denies these reports. Unlike other East African countries, which have urged social distancing and encouraged the use of masks, it's been business as usual in Tanzania. Public buses are crowded with passengers, with few wearing masks, while pubs and night clubs have been full of revelers. Local league matches at football stadiums and music festivals are ongoing across the country, usually packed to capacity.<div type="image" title="TZ Hand wash" height="3333" width="5000" msid="81487333" hostid="261"></div>Magufuli has continued to shun modern medicine and prevention methods such as wearing masks and social distancing. Instead, he has aggressively promoted unproven traditional remedies such as steam inhalation and a ginger-garlic-onion-lemon drink as the government's official line of treatment and prevention against the virus.Some hospitals have incorporated these remedies in their treatment protocols for patients displaying coronavirus symptoms. <h2>PRAYERS, STEAMS, AND HERBS </h2>During his five years in power, Magufuli has ruled Tanzania with an iron fist, in contrast to his predecessor Jakaya Kikwete's softer touch, and turned the once progressive East African nation of 60 million people into one of Africa's more repressive and secretive states, critics say. Under his leadership, the government has arrested opposition leaders and activists and limited protests. In 2017, it shut down a privately owned weekly newspaper. Only the president and three other public officials are authorized to issue data on <keyword id="8764262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid">Covid</keyword> infections and speak about the pandemic. In January, Magufuli rejected coronavirus vaccines as other countries around the world scrambled for the inoculations, saying he will not allow his compatriots to be used as guinea pigs. "Vaccines are not good. If white people were able to bring these vaccines, they would have brought vaccines for AIDS, cancer or malaria," he said in a speech. <div type="image" title="TZ Tundu Lissu" height="3333" width="5000" msid="81487337" hostid="261"></div>The government's chief spokesman, Hassan Abbasi, last month backtracked from claims that Tanzania was virus free, changing the new official narrative to "we have controlled the virus."Roman Catholic and Lutheran church leaders have in recent weeks begun pushing back against Magufuli's virus denialism, urging the government to take the disease seriously. Early this month, Charles Kitima, who leads an association of Catholic bishops, told journalists in Dar es Salaam that more than 25 priests and 60 nuns had died across the country within the last two months due to various causes, including "breathing difficulties," which has become a euphemism for coronavirus.Lissu, the opposition leader, has made the most of the moment. "It's a sad comment on (Magufuli's) stewardship of our country that it's come to this: that he himself had to get COVID-19 and be flown out to Kenya in order to prove that prayers, steam inhalations and other unproven herbal concoctions he's championed are no protection against coronavirus," he said on Twitter.

Tanzania's president is one of the world's most prominent Covid-deniers - and now he may be hospitalized with Covid

Campaigning for the third and final phase of Bihar assembly elections in which 2.35 crore voters will decide the electoral fate of more than 1,200 candidates, including the Speaker and some members of the state cabinet, ended on Thursday evening. The final phase of polling on Saturday will cover 78 constituencies spread across 19 north Bihar districts. Leading from the front, Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> addressed rallies in remote districts of Araria and Saharsa for this phase of elections, exhorting the masses to retain their trust in the NDA. He asserted that the coalition headed in the state by Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar was looking forward to meet the "aspirations" of people in the decade to follow, having fulfilled their "needs" in the preceding one. Altogether 12 rallies were addressed by the Prime Minister, on whom the NDA banks for performing well in the 243 assembly constituencies across the state. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi also addressed election meetings at Madhepura and Araria where he raised suspicions of poll rigging dubbing the EVMs as MVMs (Modi voting machines), drawing jeers from the BJP which claimed the opposition leader had lost his nerves in the face of an impending defeat. Chief Minister Nitish Kumars rallies continued to be in the news for unsavoury happenings. At an election rally in Madhubani, stones and onions were hurled towards the dais, evoking an angry retort from the incumbent "phenko, aur phenko" (carry on with your mischief). RJD chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav continued with his campaign, drawing enthusiastic crowds at his rallies, numerous in a day. Poll pundits are, however, of the view that after gaining momentum in the first phase, the RJD-led Grand Alliance has lost some steam in the subsequent ones. The BJP roped in many of its heavyweights for the assembly election campaign. Defence minister <keyword id="6355121" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajnath-Singh">Rajnath Singh</keyword>, party president Jagat Prakash Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister <keyword id="43254" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yogi-Adityanath">Yogi Adityanath</keyword> were among those who repeatedly flew down to the state urging voters to support the NDA. People also attended, in heavy numbers, rallies and road shows of LJP president <keyword id="5332" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chirag-paswan">Chirag Paswan</keyword> who has created a buzz by virtue of his strident criticism of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the gumption to go solo despite repeated claims of loyalty towards the BJP. The final phase covers the Seemanchal area of the state, densely populated and having a heavy concentration of Muslims. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who has joined a six- party coalition headed by RLSP president Upendra Kushwaha and including Mayawatis BSP, urged the minorities to shun the Congress-RJD combine, blaming these parties for the meteoric rise of the BJP and Modi. Prominent among those who would be seeking to retain their seats in the final phase are Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and state cabinet ministers Suresh Sharma and Pramod Kumar. Another candidate who has piqued curiosity is Subhashini Yadav, the Congress candidate from Bihariganj in Kishanganj district, better known as the daughter of veteran socialist leader and former Union minister Sharad Yadav. Armed with an MBA degree in marketing, the 30-year-old has made a sudden plunge into politics. Her assembly segment falls under Madhepura Lok Sabha seat which her father has won a number of times but lost in 2014 and failed to wrest back last year. Sharad Yadav had been the JD(U)s national president for long and served as the national convenor of the NDA until Nitish Kumar, the partys de facto leader, chose to snap ties with the BJP in 2013. He was stripped of the post a few years later when Kumar became the party president as well, and revolted when the latter did a volte face and returned to the NDA. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/india-is-willing-to-challenge-the-status-quo-says-defence-minister-while-outlining-the-four-core-principles-behind-the-countrys-security-policy/articleshow/79059040.cms">India is willing to challenge the status quo and protect against ‘unilateralism and aggression,’ says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/india-demands-environment-friendly-technology-to-be-made-available-at-affordable-prices-to-battle-climate-change/articleshow/79056886.cms">India demands environment-friendly technology to be made available at affordable prices to battle climate change</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/rbi-and-indian-banks-wait-as-supreme-court-adjourns-loan-moratorium-hearing-to-november-18/articleshow/79057919.cms">RBI and banks caught in the crosshairs as the Supreme Court adjourns loan moratorium hearing for a second time to November 18</a>

Final phase of campaigning for the Bihar assembly election comes to an end

<ul><li>Not just Amazon and Flipkart, but <keyword id="4085901" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Milkbasket">Milkbasket</keyword>, <keyword id="964794" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BigBasket">Bigbasket</keyword>, <keyword id="2466939" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Grofers">Grofers</keyword> have all temporarily suspended services.</li><li>Disturbing visuals also show how a Medlife delivery agent who was out to deliver medicines was lathi charged by the police in the national capital.</li><li>Milkbasket informed that on Monday 10,000 orders were cancelled resulting in them dumping over 15,000 litres of milk and throwing over 10,000 kgs of fruits and vegetables.</li><li>E-commerce falls under essential services, however, delivery agents from Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy, Grofers, Milkbasket and others were stopped by the police on the roads. </li></ul>Amazon users across India got notifications that their orders have been delayed, while Flipkart suspended services temporarily as delivery agents continued to be hassled by the police for venturing out during <keyword id="91743" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="lockdown">lockdown</keyword>. Not just Amazon and Flipkart, but Milkbasket, Bigbasket, Grofers have all temporarily suspended services. Disturbing visuals also show how a Medlife delivery agent who was out to deliver medicines was lathicharged by the police in the national capital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a 21-day lockdown across the country. He urged that essential services should remain open. E-commerce falls under essential services, however, delivery agents from Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy, Grofers, Milkbasket and others were stopped by the police on the roads. Some have also been arrested. In an app notification to its users, Milkbasket informed that on Monday 10,000 orders were cancelled resulting in them dumping over 15,000 litres of milk and throwing over 10,000 kgs of fruits and vegetables. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a guideline which states that ration shops will continue to stay open. Shops dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, meat and fish, will stay open. However district authorities may encourage and facilitate home delivery to minimize the movement of individuals. The order also stated that e-commerce will remain operational for delivery of essential goods. A direct order is necessary from the government about e-commerce operationality. The e-commerce services are now working with the government to ensure that the orders given are actually followed by the police on ground. According to reports, e-commerce players have also approached the <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/e-grocers-approach-pmo-for-clearance-to-operate/articleshow/74801085.cms?utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=TOIMobile">Prime Minister’s office </a>requesting the movement of delivery agents. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has also written to the central government to continue the supply of essential goods, including e-commerce services. In Telangana, IT Minister KT Rama Rao said that he has already directed the IT secretary to ensure e-commerce players restart operations <div type="twitter" handle="KTRTRS" handlename="KTR" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1224725537660100608/voqmVOG2_normal.jpg" favoritecount="2217" retweetcount="458" status="I have already asked IT secretary @jayesh_ranjan to work with Big Basket, Grofers and Amazon to ensure they restart… https://t.co/yU3ixY6IvY" createdat="1585075325000" id="1242522090030264320"></div>

 Thousands of orders across the country had to be cancelled or were delayed because of this issue. This, at a time when people are stuck inside their homes and rely on these apps to deliver essential goods at their doorstep. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/people-fight-for-grocery-as-india-goes-into-a-21-day-lockdown-pm-modi-urges-people-to-stay-calm/articleshow/74798839.cms">People fight over milk and onions as India goes into a 21-day lockdown – Modi urges people to stay calm</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/amazon-flipkart-zomato-fall-under-essential-services-but-their-delivery-agents-are-being-stopped-by-the-police/articleshow/74792756.cms">Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato fall under ‘essential services’ but their delivery agents are being stopped by the police</a>

Amazon delays orders, Flipkart suspends services, a medicine delivery agent gets beaten up by the police – day 1 of lockdown

<ul><li>71-year old P Rajagopal who founded Saravana Bhavan is set to begin his life sentence on Sunday.</li><li>The founder of Saravana Bhavan has been held guilty of murdering the husband of a woman he obsessed over.</li><li>Before his conviction, Rajagopal's journey from being a grocer in 1981 to the owner of franchise that spread across the world, was an inspiration for many entrepreneurs in India.</li></ul>In the summer of 2015, while most restaurants in the city of Paris had their staff standing outside wooing people, Saravana Bhavan near the station in Saint-Denis had a waiting time of 45 minutes. Other Indian and Asian restaurants, including the one very next to it, was empty in the evening while people chose to wait for their seat inside Saravana Bhavan. There have been similar anecdotes across many cities from New Delhi to New York to Stockholm where the restaurant operates in. A New York Times feature in 2014 appropriately titled <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/magazine/masala-dosa-to-die-for.html" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">'Masala Dosa to die for'</a> captured the life of the son of an onion farmer, P Rajagopal, who went from being an inspiring entrepreneur who broke the shackles of caste and perception to build a restaurant chain, Saravana Bhavan, which went on to be a rage for vegetarian delicacies around the world, to a convict awaiting his life sentence now. The 71-year old Rajagopal started out as a grocer in 1981 when he decided to start a vegetarian restaurant in the south Indian city of Chennai. He was breaking into a domain that was at that time the fiefdom of upper castes. He decided to invest in a restaurant chain in an under-developed economy where barely anyone could afford to eat out regularly. He was at a disadvantage in every possible way -- social, financial, economic rationale-- but the grocer beat all odds to become a millionaire with outlets in over 33 cities outside India. Passion and obsession In the early 2000s, Rajagopal took a liking to the daughter of an employee. He obsessed over the woman who was already married and rejected his advances. Rajagopal has been held guilty of murdering her husband after threats, beatings and exorcisms failed. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2004 and later it was increased to life sentence after he was convicted of murder. The Supreme Court upheld the verdict earlier this year. He is meant to surrender by July 7 and spend the rest of his life behind bars. "Rajagopal is an example of how you can really come up in the society through hard work and thinking out of the box," GC Shekhar, a Chennai-based journalist, told the AFP. "What led to his downfall was his weakness for women and his belief that he was so powerful that he could get somebody murdered and get away with it." Other controversies Income Tax department raided the headquarters of the chain in Chennai in January 2019 following complaints of alleged tax evasion. "We believe these groups suppress large-scale income from their domestic operations. They have not disclosed income generated in their overseas branches over the last several years. We would be able to assess the quantum of tax evasion only after the raids," a senior officer <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/income-tax-raids-at-five-hotel-groups-including-saravana-bhavan-in-chennai-32-places-being-searched-1971942" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">reportedly</a> said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/anil-ambani-goes-from-yacht-to-almost-jail-to-bankruptcy/articleshow/69835915.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Anil Ambani may not be a billionaire anymore — here's how he lost it all in just a decade</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/An-entrepreneur-who-spent-5-years-interviewing-21-self-made-billionaires-asked-every-single-one-how-they-made-their-first-million-dollars-160heres-what-they-said/articleshow/69906217.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">An entrepreneur who spent 5 years interviewing 21 self-made billionaires asked every single one how they made their first million dollars - here's what they said</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-7-richest-retail-billionaires-in-the-world/articleshow/68276965.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">The 7 richest retail billionaires in the world</a>

The millionaire founder of Saravana Bhavan, an iconic Indian restaurant chain spread around the world, is set to begin his life sentence for murder

Simply put, bandhs (Shutdowns) are not new to Indians. In fact, bandhs are dubbed the joyous occasions when you can enjoy a free holiday, without having to feel the pinch. Trouble-makers have a field day – disrupting offices and workplaces, and creating chaos as far as public transportation goes. It is mostly the numerous small parties living in the shadows of ‘labour movement’ – that’s long over without even leaving any trace – that call for the bandh. For a change, the large opposition party also calls for the shutdown for a day or so. 
 No work would happen on that day, especially in <keyword id="26362" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Government">government</keyword> offices, is taken. But then, did I hear you asking if there was any time any work ‘progressed’ in the government office? Ah, yes. Now, we are talking! 
 
Government offices have a set agenda. Employees assume they get paid for making an appearance in the office. As far as work is concerned, that will cost a ‘little’ extra, which is always a norm, rather than an exception. The government machinery is like lucid dreaming. You won’t be able to differentiate between the states of consciousness. 
 
Hike in sugar price, petrol price, onion price and prices of other commodities – everything finds a solution in a bandh. So when we put these bandhs together, along with a string of holidays that come in a year, it’s a miracle that government offices achieve so much work in so little time! Come on guys, learn to appreciate a good deed! 
 
America is only nervously treading the space where we are masters. Or, we have already reached a ‘zen’-like status. Nothing compares to us. 
 That <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> is the IT superpower is something that our countrymen take pride in. Whether it is a fragmented success or the new economy’s dominance over an agrarian society is a fact that is still being debated. Do we depend on known ways or explore the unknown opportunities? India often learns this through its opposition parties, whenever they throw a fit on new measures being taken or new policies being announced. Only when it is challenged for vision, the government seems to become more articulate than ever before, with carefully crafted words to support its claims. 
 
While America relies heavily on order, we rely on order in chaos. After all, we are a huge population with scarce resources and space. How do we get our share without fighting for it? Bandhs are the best way to express our anger or simply take a break from the monotonous routine of going to work every day. 
 In a situation where a bandh is extended to more than a day, we Indians have the innocuous ability to get used to it. Most of us were probably not witnesses to the state of emergency declared by late <keyword id="6354478" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indira-Gandhi">Indira Gandhi</keyword>. The nation that was asked to lie low, crawled on all fours to save its skin. 
 
A US-like shutdown applies to a running apparatus or device. But the case is different when it comes to a Bandh. Our country has been in deep slumber since long. So a bandh may actually force people out of their mobile worlds and bring them into real-life situations to realise important things. Like, why the salary isn’t credited, is probably one of the prime questions we would be asking. 
 Doctors in <keyword id="75878" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="Private-practice">private practice</keyword> will mint money since government hospitals don’t work. But do we really assume there are ‘working’ doctors in those places? The land which believes in karma, will only leave the ill and the hungry to their fate. 
 
The bills and work orders won’t be passed in government offices. Payments will have to be awaited longer than an average of 10 years, which they usually take to get passed. But haven’t we learnt ‘intezaar ka phal meetha hota hai?’ 
 
Buses and trains won’t run on time. Police stations won’t be working to discharge their duties. Oh Really? Both these units of the government are more in news for mismanagement than running the show smoothly. 
 But, the icing on the <keyword id="6481710" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="cake">cake</keyword> would be this. The ministers and their chelas will have nowhere to go. No traffic snarls, at least because of them. Pilot vehicles won’t pompously snake through the one-ways. And no tents across the roads, hosting functions in their honour. Isn’t this what we have wished for, always? 
 Bureaucrats, who are often to be blamed for the state of this country (no matter which party has governed it), will be on a long holiday. They are away from the public view anyway. When was the last time you saw your <keyword id="53980" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Deputy-commissioner">deputy commissioner</keyword> or any other <keyword id="6360156" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="IAS-officer">IAS officer</keyword> who matters to your well-being, if s/he really did? 
 
With no government, money won’t be released for developmental works. But tell us honestly, didn’t the money line the pockets of wealthy contractors who happened to be the right-hand men of ministers and the powers-that-be, mostly adding to their already full super-strong digital lockers, which could be as big as a bank? 
 
India shutdown isn’t a scary thought. It’s probably the time when you can clean up your house, debug your computer, go for a long walk and read stories to your children.

If India shuts down, this
just might happen….

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">ShutterstockMany curries and stews around the world are made with turmeric, which gives them a yellowish hue and a ginger-like, peppery taste.</div></div></div><ul><li>Turmeric, and the chemical compound derived from it, called curcumin, have some amazing health benefits.</li><li>In addition to being a proven anti-inflammatory that helps boost circulation, turmeric may also be an anti-cancer, antioxidant therapy that can fight off brain plaques, possibly helping prevent diabetes, Alzheimer's, and more.</li><li>Unlike a lot of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/vitamins">other vitamins and supplements</a>, it's cheap.</li></ul> Doctors are increasingly embracing the idea that the food we eat may be as good as any disease-fighting, immunity-boosting drug.This isn't a new strategy. "For centuries, diet was the only kind of medicine," cancer researcher Siddhartha Mukherjee <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ketogenic-diet-boosts-cancer-treatment-in-mice-2018-7">recently told Business Insider</a>. Lately, Mukherjee and other doctors have started leaning into using more targeted diets as medicine, for everything from improving <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-slow-down-aging-with-a-reduced-calorie-diet-2018-3">longevity</a> to developing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ketogenic-diet-boosts-cancer-treatment-in-mice-2018-7">better cancer care</a>. It turns out that one such healthful food comes from a root we pull right out of the ground.It's a bright yellow, inexpensive plant called turmeric. You could probably it buy in the grocery store right now, either ground up in the spice aisle, or whole near the onions, garlic, and ginger.Turmeric has been consumed by massive swaths of people for centuries around the world. It's baked inside many curry dishes and slurped down in turmeric teas and creamy golden milks. But it's not just a spicy flavoring treat. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">ShutterstockTurmeric root, a member of the ginger family, gets its yellow coloring from a chemical called curcumin.</div></div></div>"It's probably, to the best of my knowledge, the most potent naturally occurring anti-inflammatory," biophysicist and cancer researcher Ajay Goel told Business Insider. Goel, who grew up in India but started his research in the US over two decades ago, wondered why, in the medical research capital of the world, cancer and disease rates were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/map-of-cancer-rates-in-the-united-states-2017-5">so much higher</a> than in his home country. His <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=curcumin+ajay+goel">research here</a> over the past <a href="http://www.baylorhealth.edu/Research/BSWRI/Dallas/InstitutesCenters/GICancerResearch/Staff/Pages/AjayGoel.aspx">two decades</a> suggests that curcumin - the bright yellow chemical that gives turmeric its characteristic hue - has serious health-promoting properties that can play a key role in keeping people disease-free. Turmeric has been shown to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26007179">reduce inflammation and nix free radicals</a> in the body that can damage our cells. But that's not all. <h2>What turmeric does for your body and your brain</h2>The curcumin compound found in turmeric is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22407780">powerful enough</a> that it can help relieve <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22407780">arthritis pain</a>, break up <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25884903">tumors, </a>and control <a href="https://jim.bmj.com/content/early/2016/09/28/jim-2016-000272?utm_source=trendmd&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=jim&amp;utm_content=americas&amp;utm_term=1-B">diabetes.</a> It promotes <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29968913">good blood flow</a>, which helps protect against heart disease. The plant may even keep some <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=curcumin+amyloid+goel">brain plaques</a> from forming, though more research on that front is needed.Some of Goel's studies, both in animals and humans, suggest that curcumin can also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25712055">help kill stubborn treatment-resistant cancer cells</a>, and might <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25238234">make some cancers less resistant to chemotherapy</a> in the first place. In some instances, patients can reduce their toxic chemotherapy doses as much as 10-fold simply by coupling their treatment with curcumin, Goel said. In <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17900536">one 2008 study</a>, he even suggested we start calling it "cure-cumin" for its wide-ranging health benefits, promoting healing and improving conditions as diverse as <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/23/4/835">osteoporosis, chronic kidney diseases</a>, and Alzheimer's. Goel isn't the only one who's picked up on the medical effectiveness of the spice. The <a href="https://nccih.nih.gov/health/ayurveda/introduction.htm#hed4">National Institutes of Health</a> says research on the chemical compound is "limited" but acknowledges that turmeric and the curcumin inside "may help with certain digestive disorders and arthritis."In 2016, a team of scientists from North Carolina and South Korea (not including Goel) completed a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27533649">systematic review of evidence</a> to date and found that a one-gram dose a day of turmeric could help treat arthritis. That's the same dosage Goel recommends to his patients. It's a much better track record than other popular supplements on the market today, including <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-vitamin-supplements-are-useless-according-to-new-study-2018-5">multivitamins, which many recent scientific studies suggest</a> are essentially useless. "Show me a single study ever done saying people who took a multivitamin pill… did better? There's no study," Goel said. Still, many Americans pop non-herbal supplement pills like multivitamins and fish oils. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-vitamins-should-i-take-2015-10">unregulated</a> US market for these non-herbal supplements is roughly $11.3 billion dollar a year, according to Euromonitor International, while the herbal supplement market in the US, largely composed of botanical ingredients (including roots like turmeric) is much smaller, around $3.8 billion. There is growing evidence that people are starting to come around to turmeric's benefits. Today, BioSchwartz's half-gram turmeric curcumin pill is the number two bestseller among vitamins and supplements on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Health-Personal-Care-Vitamins-Dietary-Supplements/zgbs/hpc/3764441">Amazon</a> (behind collagen, but more popular than probiotics, fish oil, or multivitamins.)<h2>Supplements will never be as good as the real thing</h2>Taking supplements won't ever be as good as eating whole foods. Studies show that whole turmeric provides an extra <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28400554">anti-inflammatory</a> boost over curcumin alone. But Goel says taking a one-gram supplement is a lot better than nothing, and he's a realist: he knows Americans won't ever eat yellow curries every single day. That's not the case in India. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Consumer ReportsTurmeric powder</div></div></div>"Every meal is yellow," Goel said it's simply part of the traditional Indian diet, as ubiquitous as salt and pepper. "They don't even recognize, but it's protecting them from a lot of disease."The yellow root is also in many other foods across Asia. The Chinese call it <a href="https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/1983991/turmeric-wonder-food-should-be-every-hongkongers-cup-tea">jiang huang</a>, and it's in tons of Thai dishes too, from chicken soups to fried fish.Goel suggests that every adult could probably stand to get a little daily dose of turmeric or a curcumin supplement, after consulting their physician. It's an even more important ingredient for aging populations, as a potent antioxidant that helps protect cells. It's anti-microbial, too.At home, Goel gives it to his 13 and 15 year old boys. He says he doesn't want to sound like a turmeric salesman ("I am not!" he emphasized.), but he acknowledges the health benefits of the yellow-orange stuff cannot be denied. "Its super safe, there's no toxicity," Goel said. "It's dirt cheap, it comes from food, so why not?" <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lobster-curry-crave-fishbar-nyc-2016-3">This lobster curry is some of the best seafood we've ever had</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

A natural yellow chemical compound you can find in any grocery store could help fight cancer, diabetes, and even Alzheimer's

‘Ghar ki murgi dal barabar’- the age old adage is getting proved quite literally now. With the price of the lentils skyrocketing each day, ex-mill and wholesale prices of tur <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=dal">dal</a> increased further by about 18% in a week in Maharashtra. The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=price">price</a> has absurdly increased from Rs 167/kg for the best variety to Rs 194/kg. 
 
While the government is relying on imports to check the matter just like onions, local traders say this would never going to happen. The shortages are huge, government imports are meagre and local crop will come only in December, keeping tur dal prices exorbitantly high till Diwali. 
 
The desi tur is expensive than the imported African tur by about Rs 20/kg to Rs 30/kg in wholesale. With this, the wholesale prices in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Maharashtra+">Maharashtra</a> have crossed Rs 190/kg, which will translate into retail prices of Rs 200/kg to Rs 220/kg in a few days. In fact, trade sources also think that prices can also touch Rs 250/kg by Diwali if the government intervention is not effective. 
 
The shortage is so high that the mills are running at about just 25% of their capacity. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Governmen">Governmen</a>t has imported about 5,000 tonne dal and another 2000 tonne is on the way, as per a news report by The Economic Times. 
 
The Indian <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=tur+dal">local tur crop</a> will come on by December, while the industry expects the production to fall due to the deficient rains in the growing regions. Though the central government has asked the states to include dals in the essential commodities act, very few states have done so. 
 
(Image: Reuters)

Dal and chicken cost the same in India. Things won't change before Diwali

Untimely shower in April is definitely taking a toll on the fresh sows in the northern parts of India. The ravi harvest in North and West India including onions in Maharashtra have been badly affected due to unseasonal rain and storm. However, a recent survey by a <keyword id="2808232" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="private-weather-forecaster">private weather forecaster</keyword> comes as a breather for the farmers. The <keyword id="6376779" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Skymet">Skymet</keyword> conducted survey points out that that the country will receive normal rains during the June-September monsoon season. 
 
As per a news report by The Economic Times, the government's India Meteorological department (IMD) is expected to forecast on the same by April 23. Local authorities use IMD's prediction to decide on their monsoon preparations. However, global forecasters are of opinion that 2015 in Indian agriculture might be largely impacted bby El Nino. El Nino has a history of adversely impacting monsoon rain. In the past decade, 2002, 2004 and 2009 were drought years due to the phenomenon 
"2014-15 has become an El Nino year as the Oceanic Nino index has crossed the threshold value of 0.5 for five consecutive times since September 2014 till March end. We expect it to last till May 2015 and thereafter go down, thereby not making any impact on Indian monsoon," GP Sharma, vice-president of meteorology at Skymet told the ET. 
 
Skymet expects a few dry patches in parts of northwest, central and south India but on the whole it is optimistic of normal rains in 2015. In its March forecast it has said that the monsoon rainfall might be 102 per cent of long-period average for the period June to September. 
As per the news report in the financial daily, average rainfall over India for June-September would be 89 cm. The long-term average is the average rainfall for the past 50 years. A deviation of up to 4 per cent on both sides is considered as normal. Anything beyond 10 per cent is excess rainfall, or drought. 
 
DS Pai, head of the long range forecast at IMD told the ET, that they were analysing the latest forecast and by April 22-23 come with their first forecast for the Indian monsoon. "We are monitoring data and will not like to comment on El Nino impact at this stage," he said. More than half of the population in India being directly or indirectly dependent on farms, rain is indispensible element of survival. The ET predicts deficient rains could drive up inflation, especially <keyword id="67286" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Food-inflation">food inflation</keyword>, affecting the steps to put the <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> back on track. In 2009, the country's worst drought in nearly four decades drove up food inflation to as much as 20 per cent and it took years for it come to bearable levels. 
Land preparation and sowing of kharif crops, largely paddy, soyabean, cotton, pulses such as pigeon peas (arhar) and green gram (moong), coarse cereals like bajra and jowar, pick up with the onset of the monsoon in the country. 
 
 
(Image: Reuters)

​The monsoon's going to be just fine this year

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An ag-tech company has developed an army of resilient crops by growing them with salt water.</li><li>These crops are better at surviving salty soils, which is a growing problem in our warming world.</li></ul>Saltwater is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/potato-farmers-destroy-potatoes-covid19-even-in-a-food-shortage-2020-6">bad news for most crops</a>, but not for a series of tomatoes, alfalfa, onions, and rice sprouting in a lab in Israel.These crops are the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-that-wouldnt-exist-without-gmos-2015-8">non-GMO</a> brainchild of Ṛcā Godbole, a plant molecular biologist and co-founder of SaliCrop. And they don't just grow, they thrive on salt water.Over the last four years, SaliCrop has been testing its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-soil-health-fights-climate-change-2023-6">seed enhancement technology</a> on tomatoes in southern Spain, where devastating drought has triggered severe salinization, the process where soils become too salty for crops to grow efficiently.<div type="image" title="An aerial view of a harvesting truck loading tomatoes into a trailer." height="675" width="900" msid="108901209" hostid="261" sizebytes="209370"></div>With SaliCrop's seeds, however, participating tomato farmers have seen a 10% to 17% increase in crop yields, earning them an extra $1,600 per hectare, SaliCrop CEO Carmit Oron told Business Insider.Spain is just one of many places worldwide with a serious salinization issue. A perfect storm of years-long irrigation, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/world-hottest-year-ever-history-climate-crisis-2024-1">warming global temperatures</a>, and sea level rise have made 20% to 50% of irrigated soils worldwide too salty to be fertile. This costs the global economy an estimated $27 billion per year in lost crops.Meanwhile, the number of mouths to feed continues to grow with the global <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/graphics-showing-population-change-world-2019-7">human population</a> projected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, the UN estimates. "How do we grow more on lands that are becoming degraded? This was the main question and the motivation for establishing SaliCrop," Oron said.Godbole founded SaliCrop with Sharon Devir, an agricultural engineer, with a grand mission: Help farmers who face the challenges of our rapidly changing world and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/crispr-genetic-modification-agriculture-food-2018-4">prevent starvation</a> for potentially billions of people."We believe this solution is a must," Devir told BI.<h2>SaliCrop's saltwater success</h2>Scientists at SaliCrop are developing an army of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wild-seeds-of-domesticated-crops-boost-food-security-2019-12">resilient crops</a> that can grow under the stresses of our changing world, like saltier soils and warmer temperatures.Salt naturally occurs in soils everywhere, but too much of it can make it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-who-fed-people-during-housing-crisis-finds-garden-ruined-2023-4">harder for plants to absorb water</a> and nutrients, which stunts their growth, reduces crop yields, and ultimately threatens global food production.<div type="image" title="Rice seedlings planted in salty soil." height="1414" width="2121" msid="108901214" hostid="261" sizebytes="602392"></div>Across the globe, more than 1.5 billion people live with soils that have become too salty to grow crops efficiently. And it's predicted to only get worse.In India, for example, 44% of the land is already saline, and researchers estimate that salinization will affect 50% of the country by 2050.The problem farmers worldwide can't escape is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-global-warming-extreme-heat-inflation-global-economy-impact-2024-3">warmer average temperatures</a>, which speed up evaporation in the soil, concentrating the salt within that soil — especially in arid regions.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sea-levl-rise-flooding-risk-higher-estimates-2019-10">Flooding from rising sea levels</a> also poses a threat, particularly to coastal farmlands, because it deposits more salt into the soil and groundwater. Poor irrigation practices, such as insufficient water application, using saline water, and not maintaining adequate drainage can also lead to salty soils.<div type="image" title="Irrigation machines watering a grassy farm field." height="1414" width="2121" msid="108901218" hostid="261" sizebytes="256520"></div>To help farmers combat all these factors, SaliCrop is working to bring its solution to eight different countries, and is already fielding calls from seed companies in Europe, India, and Africa that are seeking immediate solutions to improve their crop yield, Oron said."Plants have certain environmental stress-inducible genes that act as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plants-talk-to-each-other-scientists-record-for-first-time-2024-1">internal alarms</a>," Godbole explained in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/salicrops-novel-seed-enhancement-tech-makes-deserts-bloom-302060421.html">press release</a>. "When there is too much salt, or too much heat, these alarms go off and the plant enters defense mode."Godbole figured out a way to harness those alarm bells by exposing plants to stress early in their growth cycle. In this case, that means watering crops with salt water in their lab. That way, when they're planted in salty soil, the crops already have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plants-shriek-with-high-pitched-ultrasonic-clicks-when-stressed-study-2023-3">their defenses up</a>, which makes them less sensitive to salty conditions.Based on their test data, this strategy cuts crop losses due to stress in half, and it only takes about a year to achieve that result, Devir said."We calibrate our technology to each crop, to each species, and even to each batch of species," Devir said. This allows them to precisely target the best resilience response and maximize yield for each type of crop.<h2>Seeding the future with non-GMO crops</h2>"We believe that it's a matter of one to two years until we will have a global footprint with our solution," Devir said. So far, SaliCrop has been working with farms 25 acres to 250 acres in size. Globally, over 3,700 acres — just over four times the size of NYC's Central Park — of farmland grow SaliCrop seeds.<div type="image" title="Aerial view of a tractor harvesting alfalfa." height="1409" width="2127" msid="108901219" hostid="261" sizebytes="299864"></div>But SaliCrop isn't the only company targeting a non-GMO solution. Red Sea Farms, for example, is a Saudi Arabian company that uses selective breeding to grow crops that can be irrigated with salt water. In Sweden, a company called OlsAro is growing salt-tolerant wheat by using AI to select traits that improve its resilience.Worldwide, up to 783 million people <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/global-food-crisis-higher-prices-shortages-civil-unrest-2022-8">face chronic hunger</a>. The UN has set an ambitious goal to eradicate hunger by 2030, but it'll need innovative solutions to improve agricultural productivity in the face of climate change.Non-GMO resilient crops are one possible answer. "SaliCrop is a good example of how you can bring to the world a cheap, reliable solution with no negative environmental effect, just to produce more food," Devir said. "We believe in it."

Scientists are growing crops with salt water that could help save us from starvation 

New Delhi, One of India's most creative chefs who put nawabi <keyword id="19945772" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lucknow" source="keywords">Lucknow</keyword>'s <keyword id="20612438" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dum-pukht" source="keywords">Dum Pukht</keyword> cuisine on the world map, and also became the first practising member of his fraternity to ever get a Padma Shri in 2016, Imtiaz <keyword id="19974186" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="qureshi" source="keywords">Qureshi</keyword>, passed away on Friday at the age of 93. An unlettered cook who started working from the age of nine, Qureshi, who was known for his trademark handlebar moustache, Santa Claus-like personality and the chaste Urdu in which he would narrate his stories from the kitchen, was famous for inventing dishes whose ideas he would pick up from conversations with his patrons and fellow professionals. His influences and inspirations extended from the empress of ghazals, Begum Akhtar, for whom he invented a dessert named Lab-e-Mahshoukh, or pista kulfi drizzled with a sour cherry sauce, to <keyword id="20612440" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="roger-moncourt" source="keywords">Roger Moncourt</keyword>, the French chef who ruled the Continental kitchens of Delhi, from whom he picked up the secrets of the sauces that give French cuisine its distinctive personality. Qureshi started out training to be a pehelwan but ended up as an apprentice to his ustads, Haji Ishtiyaq and Ghulam Rasool, and started working with a Lucknow-based catering company that was serving the Indian Army during the Chinese War in 1962. It was then that Qureshi got to serve Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who was being hosted by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, C.B. Gupta. To make the occasion special, and out of respect for Gupta's vegetarian sensibilities, Qureshi, who's best known for mutton and fish dishes, invented the Turush-e-Paneer, escalopes of cottage cheese stuffed with dried plum and oranges, quilted in a tomato plum sauce. As the fame of his culinary prowess spread, he moved up the professional totem pole, being hired by Lucknow's then go-to hotel, Clarks Avadh, and then being head-hunted by Ajit Haksar, the founder of ITC Hotels, for the group's new address in New Delhi -- Maurya Sheraton. And from there, he travelled the world, winning accolades wherever he went. At the Maurya, Qureshi became instantly famous. Diwan Gautam Anand, who was banquet manager when the chef was in his element, remembers how the nation's high and mighty would shower gifts on Qureshi in recognition of his food, which was then a novelty in the Butter Chicken-soaked national capital. According to Anand, Qureshi was indeed a self-taught powerhouse of culinary talent, but what made him stand apart was his 'milansar' personality, which enabled him to soak in whatever knowledge anyone had to offer. Anand remembers how Qureshi once came back excited from a dinner he had curated for the Afghan ambassador because he had discovered the brinjal dish known as 'badin jaan'. Overnight, he recreated it for Dum Pukht, the restaurant at the Maurya Sheraton, that became synonymous with the master chef and a standard-bearer for Indian fine dining. Dum Pukht's Badin Jaan consists of wheels of smoked brinjal with a spiced tomato topping and a smooth, creamy spiced yoghurt sauce. It was at Dum Pukht that the jugalbandi of the doyen of food writers, the late Jiggs Kalra, and Qureshi created sensations such as the Kakori Kabab (the melt-in-the-mouth version of the chunky mutton seekh kabab), with Kalra inventing the story of the toothless nawab in its honour, the signature Dum Biryani, and umami-packed gravy dishes such as the Koh-i-Awadh, the 'paya' reinvented with lamb shanks, and Mahi Dum Pukht, red snapper fillet cooked in an almond and brown onion sauce. He had created this dish first for the wedding of a Mumbai socialite's daughter in 1972 and he gave it a Bengali twist a couple of decades later with his Mahi Qaliya, where rohu fish cooked in mustard oil is the base ingredient, for a Kolkata-based news baron. With the passing of Imtiaz Qureshi, India has lost a chef who not only gave Indian fine dining a new lease of life and a personality of its own, but also, despite being unlettered, became its finest and most colourful spokespersons around the world.

You Searched For "Onion India news" and got 13 results

Bangladesh requests India to withdraw ban on onion export

IANS

Here's a breakup of Narendra Modi's ₹20 lakh crore stimulus⁠— RBI measures make up for nearly half of it

Preeti Soni

Ban on hoarding onions beyond ceiling extended by one year

BI India Bureau

Tanzania's president is one of the world's most prominent Covid-deniers - and now he may be hospitalized with Covid

Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala

Final phase of campaigning for the Bihar assembly election comes to an end

PTI

Amazon delays orders, Flipkart suspends services, a medicine delivery agent gets beaten up by the police – day 1 of lockdown

Sanchita Dash

The millionaire founder of Saravana Bhavan, an iconic Indian restaurant chain spread around the world, is set to begin his life sentence for murder

Sriram Iyer

If India shuts down, this just might happen….

Preetam Kaushik

A natural yellow chemical compound you can find in any grocery store could help fight cancer, diabetes, and even Alzheimer's

Hilary Brueck

Dal and chicken cost the same in India. Things won't change before Diwali

BI India Bureau

The monsoon's going to be just fine this year

BI India Bureau

Scientists are growing crops with salt water that could help save us from starvation

Ellyn Lapointe

Imtiaz Qureshi , the chef who put nawabi Lucknow's Dum Pukht on the map, passes away

IANS

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides

You Searched For "Onion India news" and got 13 results

Bangladesh requests India to withdraw ban on onion export

IANS

Here's a breakup of Narendra Modi's ₹20 lakh crore stimulus⁠— RBI measures make up for nearly half of it

Preeti Soni

Ban on hoarding onions beyond ceiling extended by one year

BI India Bureau

Tanzania's president is one of the world's most prominent Covid-deniers - and now he may be hospitalized with Covid

Fumbuka Ng&apos;wanakilala

Final phase of campaigning for the Bihar assembly election comes to an end

PTI

Amazon delays orders, Flipkart suspends services, a medicine delivery agent gets beaten up by the police – day 1 of lockdown

Sanchita Dash

The millionaire founder of Saravana Bhavan, an iconic Indian restaurant chain spread around the world, is set to begin his life sentence for murder

Sriram Iyer

If India shuts down, this just might happen….

Preetam Kaushik

A natural yellow chemical compound you can find in any grocery store could help fight cancer, diabetes, and even Alzheimer's

Hilary Brueck

Dal and chicken cost the same in India. Things won't change before Diwali

BI India Bureau

​The monsoon's going to be just fine this year

BI India Bureau

Scientists are growing crops with salt water that could help save us from starvation

Ellyn Lapointe

Imtiaz Qureshi , the chef who put nawabi Lucknow's Dum Pukht on the map, passes away

IANS

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides

Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala

The monsoon's going to be just fine this year