-Economic and Political Weekly   The High-Level Committee set up by the Narendra Modi government to review the major laws relating to environment protection has, in its recommendations, worked towards two sets of objectives: one, to separate business from the messiness of governance, and, two, to redraw the line of demarcation between the judiciary and the executive. Manju Menon (manjumenon@namati.org) and Kanchi Kohli (kanchikohli@namati.org) are with the Centre for Policy Research - Namati...

-Outlook Trade bodies representing around four lakh coal workers today said they oppose e-auction as well as the enabling provision in the proposed Ordinance for commercial mining by private players, and warned of a nation- wide strike if the Centre goes ahead with the changes. The Cabinet yesterday recommended promulgation of an Ordinance to facilitate e-auction of coal blocks for private companies for captive use and allot mines directly to state and...

-The Hindustan Times The government plans to put up coal mines for bidding by private steel, power and cement companies and introduce changes in the law to enable commercial mining in the future, signalling its intent to fully open the sector to private players. The new auction-based system will replace the earlier controversial policy of allotting coal blocks based on recommendations of a panel of bureaucrats, which the Supreme Court had struck...

-The Business Standard Forest Rights Act being reinterpreted to avoid amendment Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is discussing possible ways to do away with the mandatory requirement of securing consent from tribal gram sabhas (village councils) before cutting down their forests for industrial purposes. The deliberations, on among various ministries, are for zeroing in on such a way that the requirement is removed without...

-The Hindu Police lathi-charge agitators after group clash Bhubaneswar: It was people's resistance that forced the administration to put off a public hearing on environmental clearance for coal mining at Machhakata in Chhendipada Block of Odisha's Angul district on Thursday. The State Pollution Control Board along with the local administration had made arrangements to conduct the public hearing despite strong opposition to mining in the coal block allotted to Mahaguj Collieries Limited, an...