-IndiaSpend.com To set up big commercial, tourism and shipping projects in the islands, the Centre has taken measures that could affect the region's unique biodiversity and ethnicity New Delhi: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are often pictured as a lush, tropical tourist paradise. But recent government moves may strip the protections that the ecologically and ethnically significant archipelago enjoys, in order to make way for big business, shipping and tourism projects, documents...

-The Hindu They were on an upward trajectory between January and February 2020 In 2020, there were 18.05 TB Notifications, which was a fall of 24% from 2019 due to the disruptions caused by the pandemic, according to the India TB report released by the Health Ministry on Wednesday. The report said between January and February 2020, the Notifications were on an upward trajectory, with 6% more cases reported in the same period...

-India.Mongabay.com * In its latest decision, the Indian government’s ministry of environment has come out with an order to help a certain category of mining projects avoid public hearing while seeking environment clearance. * This decision is mainly for projects which were granted environment clearance under environmental impact assessment Notification 1994 after a public hearing was conducted. * But experts note that public hearings should be understood as a critical tool for good...

-Article-14.com In 2018, India diluted environmental safeguards when it ‘standardised’ or made simpler permissions for industry by expert panels. Now, as the government pushes the use of dirtier domestic coal by power plants, further dilution is underway, increasing health risks and imperilling the environment New Delhi: Standardised conditions will be “monitorable”. They will bring “uniformity”. They will help in “expediting the process of environmental clearance without compromising environmental norms”. These are claims the ministry of...

-The Indian Express In all, 22 States and UTs have seen an increase of less than Rs 10, whereas 12 states and UTs have registered a hike of over Rs 10 this time. Meghalaya has registered the highest increase in MGNREGS wages — a jump of Rs 23 from Rs 203 in 2020-21 to Rs 226 — for 2021-2022, while there has been no increase in Kerala and Lakshadweep, according to the...