1.   

World Food Day to mark end of 'Rozi Roti Adhikar Yatras' across nation

World Food Day, which falls on October 16, 2012, marks the culmination of a series of Rozi Roti Adhikar Yatras which have been criss-crossing the country for the last two weeks, holding public meetings on food security and listening to people’s testimonies. The Yatras were launched at the beginning of October by the Right to Food Campaign, separately in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and West Bengal.

2.   

India-Russia trade may touch 20$ bn by 2015

The bilateral trade between India and Russia is expected to touch USD 20 billion by 2015 on the back of increasing economic engagement between the countries. Addressing industry chambers here, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said both the countries have potential to cross the USD 20 billion figure also. Speaking at the occasion, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said India provides huge business opportunities for the Russian industry.

3.   

India-Pakistan border trade may see a boom

The Attari-Wagah international land border between India and Pakistan in Punjab has been witness to two wars and has troopers guarding it round the clock, but things could change for the better in 2013 as trade through the crossing is set to expand exponentially. Pakistan has agreed to allow trading of up to 6,000 items from the current 137 via the land border route. This means that trade between both countries could go up by at least five times in the next three years.

4.   

Agri ministry's flagship scheme may be revamped

The ministry of agriculture proposes to revamp its flagship growth scheme, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), to adopt a focused approach towards each sector and avoid multiplicity of schemes. According to official sources, the scheme will support a new objective of asset creation along with its current job of funding project and schemes. The fund allocation will be spread across four to five years rather than an yearly allocation.