THE Indian Bureau of Mines, in its Indian Minerals Yearbook–2005, notes that Chhattisgarh has 28 different types of minerals, with coal and iron ore being the most abundant. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), in its comprehensive book Rich Lands, Poor People: Is ‘Sustainable' Mining Possible?, says that around 16 per cent of India's coal reserves, 10 per cent of its iron-ore reserves, 5 per cent of its limestone...

India has been lauded for its remarkable overall economic growth of over 8% over the last five years. But despite this high and relatively stable growth, India's underbelly is soft. The agriculture sector is performing below expectations, with growth rate of around 2.8%, it is way below the Eleventh Plan target of 4%. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) estimates that 22% of India's population is undernourished. Child malnutrition is...

A global survey’s rating of Indian consumers as the greenest in the world, though significant in itself, should be viewed in perspective. In the annual survey carried out by the National Geographic Society and the international polling firm GlobeScan, India topped the ranking for the eco-friendly consumption pattern of its population for the second year in a row. Brazil has been adjudged second, China third and the US last in...

DJ Parmar, the postmaster of Kukda village of Surendra Nagar district in Gujarat, besides handling letters and money orders, has now taken an additional responsibility. He will take orders from farmers for supplying of seeds prior to the forthcoming kharif sowing season. In the neighbouring Danawada village, post master VS Verma is also gearing up to take the additional responsibility for ensuring that quality seed reaches farmers on time. Thanks...

Though normally punishment should be proportionate to the gravity of misconduct of an employee, for corruption/misappropriation the only deserts are dismissal, the Supreme Court has held. It is not the amount embezzled but the mens rea (criminal intention) to misappropriate public money that is enough justification to dismiss the delinquent employee, said a Vacation Bench of Justices B.S. Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar. The Bench, quoting an earlier ruling, said: “Any sympathy shown...