Although social activists and concerned economists demanded at least Rs. 1 lakh crore to be earmarked in favour of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the Finance Minister in her budget speech on 1st February allocated only Rs.61,500 crore to it for the financial year 2020-21. As compared to the fund spent on MGNREGA in 2019-20 (i.e. revised estimate of Rs.71,001.81 crore), the amount set aside for the...
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With rising temperatures and post COVID-19 challenge, can forest management show a way for India? -Anjal Prakash and Dhanapal G
-Mongabay.com * A recent report on climate change by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that nearly 38 percent of the world’s population is vulnerable to the rise in sea level. * COVID-19 has shown that if push comes to shove, countries do take extreme measures to save lives and livelihoods, and thus answer to what can be done to tackle climate change lies in changing our approach to both...
More »India continues to lose forest land to non-forestry projects - Ishan Kukreti
-Down to Earth Central environment ministry reports diversion of 11,467 hectares forest land in 2019 (up to first week of November) The diversion of forest land for other purposes continued throughout India. A total 11,467.83 hectares (114.68 square kilometre) forest lands were diverted in 22 states between January 1 and November 6, 2019, the Union government admitted. This diversion was for 932 non-forestry projects under the Forest (Conservation) Act (FCA), 1980, according to...
More »Suggested resources to understand the COVID-19 crisis better
These days a lot many articles, reports, documents, etc. are appearing in the public domain on Coronavirus infection and related issues. An attempt has been made in the present news alert to put together in one place some of the best articles, reports, blogs, webinars, podcasts, etc., which can be useful for our readers. We have divided the resources under various themes for the convenience of our readers and social media...
More »Explained: Reading the new Forest Report -Jay Mazoomdaar
-The Indian Express State of Forest Report 2019 has shown a 1,275 sq km gain in very dense forest, but what this statistic masks is the fact that the country continues to lose its best natural forests. A look at what was gained and lost. India’s forest cover has increased by 3,976 sq km or 0.56% since 2017. For the second successive time since 2007, the biennial State of Forest Report (SFR)...
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