-The Hindu In Delhi, two evening markets were ordered to be shut for violating COVID-19 norms. A large percentage of the world’s population is gripped by vaccine hesitancy, experts believe as a coronavirus vaccine appears more likely in the next couple of months. Vaccine hesitancy, which is defined as reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite availability of vaccines, is feared to grip up to 40 to 50% of the world’s population, according to...

-Newsclick.in The state government is said to be formalising plans to give 40% of "degraded forest land" to private firms, allege activists. New Delhi: Amidst the ongoing battle by tribal communities in India to formalise their land claims, the Madhya Pradesh government has reportedly proposed the privatisation of 40% of “degraded forest land” to private firms. The government claims that this land is wasteland and has degraded for multiple reasons, and that private...

-The Hindu MoEF issues fresh guidelines to accelerate environmental appraisal of projects The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) wants to expedite the environment appraisal of industrial projects. These appraisals, as per norms, are conducted by independent panels of experts that have representatives from the government as well as from outside, trained in matters of ecology, wildlife and habitat preservation. The Expert Appraisal Committees (EACs) opine on whether a proposed project beyond a...

-Hindustan Times Paharganj, once a bustling, thriving market whose entire economy depends on foreign tourists, is a microcosm of the devastation caused by the ongoing coronavirus crisis in the capital’s tourism sector. Satyam Bhatnagar runs a handicrafts shop in Paharganj’s main bazar, a backpackers’ paradise that boasts of hundreds of touristy establishments such as money changers, hotels, rooftop restaurants, tour operators, and handicrafts shops selling a range of stone and wood sculptures,...

-Livemint.com * The supply chain disruption in poultry continues, further hurting the nutritional standards of poorer households * The current steep prices of items that make up the retail food basket—be it eggs, pulses or vegetables—is evidently taking a toll on millions of Indian households NEW DELHI: Banks should not advance large loans to farmers, least of all to those in the poultry business, an exasperated Ramesh Mehla said over the phone. He...