-The Hindu The prohibition imposed on bicycle riding and use of non-motorised transport in 174 designated roads of Kolkata during most hours of the workday or round-the-clock is undemocratic, environmentally retrograde and out of sync with modern urban transport planning. At a time when global cities are thinking beyond the car and popularising shared bicycle systems, the law enforcement machinery in West Bengal's capital has chosen to go the opposite...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: Numerous solar energy startups are delivering cheap and accessible power to rural India. These ventures have come up with solutions - ranging from solar off-grids to solar-powered home systems - that are not just cost-effective but also less toxic than traditional fuels like kerosene. "In a country, where large swathes of population have little or unreliable access to basic power, off grids is the solution," said Shyam...

-The Hindu If the Adani group is allowed to continue its development projects in Kutch simply by ‘compensating' for their ecological damage, the Centre will set a dangerous precedent that lets money power trump environmental regulations The Adani Group may be fined Rs.200 crore for a series of environmental violations committed by their waterfront development, port and power plant projects in the Mundra taluka of Kutch district. The waterfront development project, which...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: Keeping his promise to focus on creating durable assets under the UPA's flagship rural employment guarantee programme, rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has made changes to the programme's guidelines. In a letter sent to all chief ministers, Ramesh announced a clarification to the operational guidelines of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, which would allow for use of funds to create durable assets. The clarification relates...

-The Economic Times The government must explain to the Supreme Court, with scientific evidence, why the pentavalent vaccine, now introduced into the immunisation programme, should not be banned. The vaccine is designed to combat five childhood diseases: diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hepatitis B, pneumonia and meningitis. So far, more than 82,000 doses have been administered and there have been 29 cases of adverse effects after immunisation. After examining the evidence, it is unclear...