-Business Standard About 100 changes have already been effected through executive orders; new amendments involve structural and policy-level alterations The Centre is all set to overhaul environmental and forest regulations, policies, and Laws once the two-day conference of state forest ministers and officials is over. The conference will start on Monday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing it. After effecting some 100-odd changes to regulations through executive orders, the Union environment ministry has...

-Frontline Interview with Congress leader Jairam Ramesh by TK Rajalakshmi THE Congress has been firm in its opposition to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The Ministry for Rural Development under Jairam Ramesh in the previous UPA government drafted the 2013 Land Acquisition Bill, which the NDA government now seeks to amend. Excerpts from an interview with Jairam Ramesh: * Is your party...

-The Telegraph Shillong: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has "disapproved" of the Meghalaya government's not formulating appropriate policies and guidelines for coal mining while it found "no merit" in the government's defence for its inability to execute the tribunal's orders. "Without hesitation, we record our disapproval for the said conduct of the state of Meghalaya in not formulating appropriate policy and guidelines despite orders of the tribunal, even after lapse of a...

-The Indian Express The pace of land acquisition, which has been taking place in India since Independence, increased after liberalisation. In more cases than not, it has been successful, that is, both buyer and seller have been satisfied with the outcome. But today, land acquisition is being portrayed as next to impossible. This perception is not based on reality and needs to be changed. The farmer is wrongly being portrayed as...

-The Hindu The supporting props offered for the striking down of Section 66A diminish the arrogance of government and reinstate the ‘genuine' rule of law. Reading the judgment, one is tempted to ask this question: Is it a landmark judgment or just a great one? To appreciate the difference between "great" and "landmark", it is necessary to begin with some very fine distinctions. A great judgment is one that restores the constitutional...