-The Hindu Literacy has helped people in the State maximise the benefits of the rural employment guarantee scheme Kerala’s achievements have long been celebrated by development economists — high literacy rates, including among girls, low infant mortality rates and so on. There has also been a spate of writings highlighting the ills of Kerala society. Critics have pointed to the high rates of suicides and feminists have also raised difficult questions. While...

-The Telegraph Jharkhand has earned the dubious distinction of being one of the worst performers in climate and environment protection, faring poorly in a survey carried out by the Planning Commission. The report card showing Jharkhand in 20th position on the Environment Performance Index (EPI) 2012 was sent by the Planning Commission to the forest secretary two days ago. “The report is yet to be released officially, but being ranked 20 among all...

Supreme Court wants hazardous waste rules aligned with Basel Convention THE Supreme Court has directed the Centre to ban the import of hazardous waste. While hearing a 17-year-old case, the court also asked the government to amend the existing laws pertaining to toxic waste so that they comply with the Basel Convention, an international treaty that prohibits transboundary movement of toxic waste. India ratified the Convention in 1992. The court gave the...

-The Economic Times A rehabilitation proposal to address displaced population and sort out environmental issues at eight iron ore mines in Karnataka has been prepared and submitted to a Supreme Court panel, giving hope to steel companies that production in these mines, shuttered since last year, will resume soon.  According to norms, the rehabilitation proposal, typically called the Resettlement & Rehabilitation (R&R) plan, has to be approved by the apex court's Centrally...

-Pratirodh Bureau After the radiation accident at the Rawatbhata Atomic Power Plant (RAPP) was brought into light by DiaNuke.org, the NPCIL’s media managers seems to have gone into a knee-jerk trouble shooting mode.    Whereas the initial news in Rajasthan Patrika mentions 38 workers being exposed to Tritium leak at Rawatbhata, Nalinish Nagaich, the Executive Director in-charge of media at the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has reportedly said that only...