-The Economic Times The environment ministry has simplified the procedures for granting clearances to special economic zones as it seeks to shed the anti-industry image. A recent order issued by the environment ministry states that the environmental clearance process for SEZs will now follow the system laid out for National Industrial and Manufacturing Zones under the National Manufacturing Policy 2011. Under the new system, the central and state governments will delegate power to...

-The Business Standard Despite industry's worries, land Bill cannot be delayed  The meeting of the Union Cabinet last Thursday was, by the standards of the United Progressive Alliance ( UPA) government at least, quite effective. In what Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has called the UPA’s “slog overs”, several policy changes were announced, and proposed laws cleared. Perhaps the most important was the approval of the long-awaited changes to India’s colonial-era land...

-The Hindu THE SUNDAY STORY The scientific evidence points to a warming world. That would affect human health and agriculture, but at the Climate Change Conference in Doha, many rich countries baulked at strong action. India and China lead the developing world in calling for more remedial funding. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) times the release of its provisional annual statement with the U.N. climate negotiations. This year, it dwelt on the...

-Frontline Farmers protest against the Central clearance for coal bed methane exploration in Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu, as they fear it will devastate agriculture in Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts.  THE woes of the delta farmers of Tamil Nadu are far from over. While the Cauvery tangle continues unresolved, they fear the proposed multi-crore project for commercial exploration and exploitation of coal bed methane (CBM) in the Mannargudi block of Tiruvarur district will prove...

-The Business Standard Why the hue and cry over Walmart? Many of India Inc's big ones are no strangers to lobbying in the US  There is a very fine line that separates lobbying from bribery, and there are diverse opinions on what kind of influential pressure on lawmakers qualifies as acceptable, and what doesn't. Quite clearly, bribery is illegal and unacceptable, there is nothing wrong in lobbying per se -- at least...