-Business Standard TSR Subramanian committee for altering procedures under key laws to speed up decisions on applications from or for industries The T S R Subramanian committee has recommended a massive revamp of various forest laws, to expedite the processing of industrial applications. These range from the way forests are defined to cutting the procedures in attaining forest clearance for industrial projects. At present, three laws - Indian Forests Act (IFA) of 1927, Forest...

-Live Mint   Prakash Javadekar's environment ministry proposes reduction in parameters defining forests as inviolate New Delhi: On a day it took the environment approval process online, the new government proposed diluting the norms for allowing industrial units in forest areas, moving to clear a logjam in project mandates that industry groups allege has contributed to declining economic growth. Not only will it make the process of environment clearances easier, the norms, once changed,...

-The Times of India   NEW DELHI: Anticipating a drought like situation in some parts of the country due to expected less rainfall and shortage of drinking water, particularly in Maharashtra and Karnataka, Centre has asked the states sought detailed information from state governments. They have been asked to submit a detailed contingency plans including identifying new borewells and open wells, high yielding agricultural bore wells for hiring and possibility of transporting...

-The Times of India   Prem Das Rai, an MP from Sikkim, knew that development indicators from his state were exceptional. But his office didn't know how to showcase them. He reached out to Swaniti, a Delhi-based not-for-profit organization that has been working "consulting style" with parliamentarians. Their portal called Jigyasa aims to answer questions like Rai's. Rwitwika Bhattacharya, Swaniti's founder-CEO, was surprised at what they uncovered. "I always thought that the...

-The Hindustan Times   New Delhi: The Capital's pollution watchdog has asked Bisleri's packaged drinking water manufacturing plant in west Delhi to shut shop immediately. The reason: The plant has been drawing 3.31 lakh litres of groundwater every day without requisite approval. This quantity of water is sufficient to meet the daily requirements of 2,500 people. Illegal drawing of groundwater is a big menace. Census 2011 reveals that Delhi has about 4.5 lakh...