Doctors & social workers have called for a ban on the sale of a low-priced pesticide used for fumigating stored grains as it has become the suicide agent of choice in India. Official figures show a 3-fold increase in the number of deaths due to this pesticide in a one year period. The Indian government has announced that it will be taking stricter measures to control the sale of the pesticide & is also asking the manufacturers to use pilfer-proof packaging. (MM)