-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday came out all guns blazing against the National Green Tribunal, called the most important environment forum in history by the Supreme Court, and accused the tribunal of exceeding its brief and becoming a source of "embarrassment" for it in Parliament. "The NGT is not functioning as per the provisions of the NGT Act. This has been resulting in embarrassment to the government...

-The Indian Express   The street vending bill goes a long way in securing the livelihood of the urban poor. The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, passed by Lok Sabha on September 6, 2013, is a landmark piece of legislation for the urban poor. It is the culmination of the efforts of organisations like the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) and the Self...

-The Hindustan Times Investigating agencies may soon be required to seek the Centre's permission to question even senior retired officials in a corruption case, a move that is likely to pit it against the Supreme Court. No corruption investigation or inquiry can be opened against a senior serving government official - of the rank of joint secretary and above - without the government's nod, which often slows down the probe and also...

-The Hindu Central law has provisions that only justifies the age-old practice Chennai: There is a law, a court order and a committee. The Centre passed the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Bill, 2012 on Saturday. However, the death of 30 workers in 30 months since February 2012 in Tamil Nadu seems to suggest that nothing is able to prevent the abominable practice. Most of those who died were workers...

-The Hindu     The draft policy on the use of forest land is at odds with sound conservation principles and fails to plug holes in current guidelines that work to the advantage of project promoters The Supreme Court in July 2011 while delivering the Lafarge Judgment laid down guidelines on forest clearance procedures. These were to operate till a new regulatory mechanism was put in place. Two years after the judgment, the Ministry...