-The Hindu The case pertains to clearance given for diversion of forest land at Saranda Forest in Jharkhand’s Singhbhum District to a mining company in violation of Forest (Conservation) Act in 2012. The Central Bureau of Investigation on September 9 conducted searches at the Chennai premises of former Union Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan in connection with alleged irregularities in the approval to a proposal for leasing of 56 hectare forest land to...

-TheWire.in Data compiled by the mines ministry notes several thousand hectares of mineable area has potentially been prevented from being auctioned, saving the companies that own them money and costing the exchequer in terms of revenue foregone. New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government changed regulations meant for protection of tribal rights, forests and environment in order to ensure that more than 130 mines do not face fresh auctions and are instead retained...

-The Hindu On the tenth anniversary of the historic passage of the Forest Rights Act, tribal resistance to defend their rights is growing even as government after government tries to dilute its provisions On this day 10 years ago the historic Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act was passed in the Lok Sabha. Its conception and passage was the result of the decades of struggles and...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Comptroller and Auditor General has constituted a special team to review allocations of at least 623 mines by the Rajasthan government in 2014-15. The report is expected to be finalized in three months. Though it is a regular audit process, the issue has assumed significance after Congress on Wednesday approached the central vigilance commission seeking a CBI probe alleging a Rs 45,000 crore scam in...

-Business Standard State governments granted 401 reconnaissance permits and 920 prospecting licences between November 2007 and December 2014 Only one-fourth of companies with reconnaissance permits or prospecting licences have submitted mineral exploration data to the government in the last seven years, according to the ministry of mines. State governments granted 401 reconnaissance permits and 920 prospecting licences between November 2007 and December 2014. Of these, 186 holders of reconnaissance permits and 151 prospecting...