-The Hindu     This is because new Environment Minister Moily has decided to invite comments from CMs The new Environment Minister Veerappa Moily's decision to invite comments from six Chief Ministers on the High-Level Working Group on the Western Ghats has put the final notification of the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) covering over 59,940 square km of the hills under indefinite suspension. Before Mr. Moily took over, the Ministry already prepared the draft notification...

-The Hindu On the day that Veerappa Moily took over reins, the Environment Ministry eased environmental clearance norms for select industries, including brick kiln owners and river sand miners. On December 24, the Ministry took a decision to exempt a slew of different types of industrial and mining projects from either providing environmental impact assessment reports or holding public hearings when they are approved by the state government. Categorising these set of...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Almost two out of every five large projects in the country are held up due to absence of clearance by the ministry of environment and forests, putting pressure on the government to remove green roadblocks. According to ministry-wise data compiled by the government for projects worth over Rs 1,000 crore, nearly 38% are related to MoEF, which many view as the most powerful inspector, followed by...

-The Business Standard Policymaking in India is more often than not credited for its high nuisance value, rather than for positively aiding growth. Whether oil & gas, power, mining or any other core sector of the economy, government policy has frequently hampered rather than assisted the positive development of these industries. There is however one segment of the renewable energy space - solar power, that's vastly benefitted from concerted government action...

-The Hindu There has been "a phenomenal increase" in the levels of fine particles in the atmosphere over India, especially those generated by human activity, according to research published recently by a team of Indian scientists. Such particles, known as aerosols, contribute to the growing levels of pollution in the country. In addition, these particles scatter and absorb light. As their levels in the atmosphere increase, they can cut the amount sunlight that...