Days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke of the role of foreign-funded NGOs in instigating protests against genetic engineering in agriculture, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has asserted that his controversial decision to put the release of genetically-modified brinjal on indefinite hold in 2010 was not influenced by any NGO. As the then environment minister, Jairam had blocked the commercial release of Bt brinjal, citing a lack of scientific consensus and...
More »SEARCH RESULT
Total Matching Records found : 2844
Homosexuality unnatural, govt tells SC, promptly takes it back by Krishnadas Rajagopal
A goof-up created by the law officer representing the Ministry of Home Affairs today ended up revealing a significant shift in the government’s view on homosexuality. A day-long hearing in the Supreme Court saw Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra, representing the home ministry, argue that homosexuality is an “unnatural offence” — the exact line the government took in the Delhi High Court. In fact, a reference to the records filed by...
More »Govt seeks to link urea prices to cost of fuel by Aman Malik
In a move that could hurt millions of farmers, the government plans to increase the price of urea and link it to the price of gas in an attempt to reduce its burgeoning fertilizer subsidy bill. Urea is the only fertilizer that has a maximum retail price (MRP) still controlled by the government, which deregulated those of all others in April 2010. Urea sells in the market at Rs.5,310 per tonne,...
More »Children, parents talk of school daze by Santosh K Kiro
As many as 100 girls from Gusai Baliya in Barkagaon block of Hazaribagh district can’t study as the nearest school is about 15km away The primary school at Belamundwar village in Hazaribagh Sadar block has 155 students but no permanent teacher. It needs at least five trained teachers, but is struggling with two para-teachers The primary school at Simgra in Khunti district has only one teacher for 101 students Halwai Tola primary school...
More »Nudge to get SC, ST stamp on policy by Sanjay K Jha
-The Telegraph The CABinet secretariat has issued a circular instructing all ministries at the Centre to “mandatorily” consult the national commissions for SCs and STs on any policy concerning the two sections. The Centre seems to have woken up to the wanton violation of this rule by its own ministries and the states. The circular, issued on February 16, said: “The ministries/departments are advised to ensure that the National Commission for SCs or...
More »
