-Mongabay.com * Indian government enacted the Forest Rights Act in 2006 to correct the historic injustice done to tribal people and forest dwellers but the implementation of the landmark legislation has been far from satisfactory. * A recent study reveals a large variation in the outcomes of claims submitted under the FRA Act across states. It found that states with more forest cover have higher claim distribution rates, while states with presence...

-The Hindu Japanese officials met farmers over land acquisition Ahmedabad: Officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is funding the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, have apparently found violations of the agency’s guidelines in the process of land acquisition. The officials held a series of meetings with farmers and their representatives and also activists, who are opposing land acquisition for bullet train project. According to sources, a team of JICA officials is now...

Just a few days ahead of the Kisan Mukti March in Delhi NCR, the provisional results of the Agriculture Census 2015-16 became available in the public domain. The report, among other things, highlights the long-term problems affecting Indian agriculture including fragmentation of land holdings (particularly the marginal and small ones) and shrinking average size of farm land. The provisional results of the latest Agriculture Census reveal that at the national level...

-The Hindu Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday questioned the Maharashtra government on the advertisements issued by the State to fill jobs under reservation granted to the Maratha community A Division Bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice MS Karnik was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations and petitions opposing and supporting the new legislation granting 16% reservation to the Marathas. Advocate Gunratan Sadavarte, appearing for one of the petitioners...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: “The truthfulness of the phrase violence begets violence seemed to be unfolding before our eyes.” This statement in a report of one of the inspection teams tasked with auditing 110 institutional homes in Bihar, including the one in Muzaffarpur, summed up its shock at the evidence of physical, sexual and emotional abuse unearthed across these homes. The state sponsored audit report by Koshish, Tata Insititute of...