Jairam Ramesh, India's environment minister, will make a decision in the next week that could define the future of the country: whether to approve a $12 billion South Korean-owned steel plant, the largest potential foreign direct investment ever on the subcontinent. The plant, proposed by South Korea's Posco, has been in the works for years. It already has been cleared by the environment ministry, which Mr. Ramesh runs, and endorsed by...

There is clearly a direct trade-off between exploitation of natural resources and conservation of environment and human habitat . In the past, due to lower environment consciousness, the trade-off was always decided in favour of exploitation. This is deplorable. Yet, environmental fundamentalism can also exact a high cost that will prevent a number of people to remain without access to basic necessities of life. This apparently intractable trade-off has to be resolved....

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) wants to outsource India's food security. CNN-IBN through a Right to Information (RTI) exposes a food scam in the making. Father of the green revolution Professor MS Swaminathan calls it a national disaster.   The government did a poor job of both storing and distributing foodgrains and let thousands of tonnes simply lie and rot.   "Outsource India's food security" that is what the Chairman and Managing Director...

The experts group, chaired by chief of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council C. Rangarajan, set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to examine the recommendations of the National Advisory Council (NAC) on the proposed National Food Security Bill, will hold its first meeting here on Friday. Even as the NAC is formulating the draft Bill, the experts group will examine the proposals and come up with its suggestions. A meeting of...

Former NDA minister Arun Shourie has said he was replaced as a lead speaker in a budget debate over fears that he would oppose a proposal that may have benefited Mukesh Ambani, bring the BJP under glare at a time the party has been targeting the Congress on corruption. The statement also reflects how much Shourie and the BJP have drifted apart since the dramatic events triggered by the party’s defeat...