The Indian government has ordered hundreds of paramilitary troops into eastern parts of the country where Maoist rebels have increasingly been taking control. This year, 669 people have died in violent incidents involving the Maoists. October was a particularly humiliating month for the Indian police. First, members of the Communist Party of India [Maoist] captured an Inspector and beheaded him. Then, a police station was attacked and two policemen killed....

Tulsi Devi, an adivasi from Uttar Pradesh, is neither an expert on climate change nor has the know-how of dealing with its consequence. All she knows is that if the government hands over the forest land to her and her community, they would take care of its eco-system like their own children. Tulsi Devi is perturbed that as more and more forest land is being given to “companies”, there would...

Japan on Wednesday said that greenhouse gases emission rate in China and India had reached an alarming proportion and hoped that a legally binding agreement would be arrived at Copenhagen to prevent global warming. Talking to journalists from South East Asia here on Wednesday, Yoshiko Kijima, senior negotiator for Climate Change, Climate Change Division, International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that an agreement at Copenhagen was also important...

Writes to Madhya Pradesh CM about Maheshwar clearance  Proposes to stop construction work on the dam ‘Lack of progress on relief & rehabilitation front’ BHOPAL: Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh has written to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan informing him of “grave violations” of the conditions for environmental clearance given for the Maheshwar dam project by the MoEF under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. As a...

India has blocked entry to a former US naval ship heading for break-up at a scrap yard on its west coast, citing environmental and pollution concerns. The ministry of environment and Forests said it inspected Platinum-II and found the ship contained toxic material.   There are also concerns that the ship has been brought into India with false documentation, the ministry says. The ship reached Indian waters last month, but was...