India's output of e-waste has jumped by eight times in the past seven years and the open yet illegal incineration of massive quantities of such trash may lead to serious public health hazards, a government report says. According to the latest annual report of the Union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF), by the end of 2012, India would have generated a whopping eight lakh tonnes of e-waste - up eight...

-DNA   Having provided forest land rights to just one in five tribals, Gujarat ranks a poor 12th in issuing forest land rights to the tribal population. As against 1,91,592 claims received for seeking forest land rights, the government distributed title deeds among 39,784 applicants, i.e. 20.76% of the claimants. This was after The Forest Rights Act 2006 was enacted and its rules framed in the year 2007. Of the total claims received by...

-The Telegraph The Mamata Banerjee government today took “baby steps” in easing its seemingly inflexible stand on land. It has allowed more industries to hold land in excess of the ceiling with prior approval. Also, in the clause that allows government-owned companies to lease out land for townships, prior approval is not mentioned. The amendments to the land and land reforms act do not hold any big surprises but by passing them today,...

Nearly 70% of infant deaths (within the first year of birth) in the country in 2010 took place during the first 29 days of life (neonatal). While Jammu & Kashmir has the dubious distiction of leading the list with 82.1% infant deaths being neonatal, it is followed by Maharashtra (78%), Himachal Pradesh (77.5%), Punjab (74.2%), West Bengal (74%), Rajasthan (73.4%) and Madhya Pradesh (70.8%). The Registrar General's latest data Sample Registration System...

-The Hindu ‘In a democracy, such bias towards select papers is shocking' In a strongly-worded letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Congress on Sunday demanded the immediate withdrawal of the circular restricting the purchase of newspapers by State libraries and those it aids and sponsors to ones specified by it. “Undemocratic” Protesting the move, which he described as “most partial and undemocratic,” West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Pradip Bhattacharya said...