-The Hindu * What are the Forest Conservation Rules and how will it affect forest dwellers and tribals? What is the government’s position on the updated rules? The story so far: The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sparred earlier this week on the latest version of the Forest Conservation Rules. Congress spokesperson, Jairam Ramesh, alleged that the latest version of the rules, updated last month, allowed forest land to be...

-The Telegraph Rain-induced landslide and flood destroyed 2086 houses and 13 schools besides affecting and 2403.42 hectare of agricultural land in Dima Hasao district Guwahati: The widespread destruction and disruption caused by flood and landslides in Assam’s Dima Hasao district have turned the spotlight on the creation of Development Projects at the “cost” of the ecology in the ecologically fragile hill district. As an inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) visited the district on Saturday...

-PTI/ NDTV.com "I appeal to the opposition (AIADMK, BJP) parties and our allies (Congress, left parties) not to politicise but stand by the government in facilitating the local bodies to take up pro-people initiatives," MK Stalin said. Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said his DMK government was constrained to revise the property tax to ensure funds flow to the newly elected civic bodies so as to facilitate developmental...

-Hindustan Times It is the unfolding crisis in Pakistan and Sri Lanka which is forcing countries like Maldives, Nepal and Bangladesh to think again on Chinese infrastructure loans and being part of the BRI initiative. During his trip to India last week, Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba informally shared a conversation about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to Kathmandu in late March. The Nepalese PM, who has an equally political...

-The Telegraph The social audits take note of issues such as the card holders’ grievances and whether projects have been completed correctly The Centre has linked approval for the states’ rural job scheme budgets to their performance on certain transparency measures, hanging a cloud over funds release under the programme from April 1. The Union rural development ministry on Tuesday wrote to all the states seeking information by Wednesday on the social audits...