The definition is contested as the answer has immense economic implications. If bamboo is a tree or timber, it belongs to the Forest department and can be auctioned to the paper and pulp industry, often at throwaway rates. If it is a grass, then it would be classified as a minor Forest produce and people would have the right to cut bamboo for sale or for value addition by making...

Heavy security bandobast is in place for the third phase of panchayat elections which will take place tomorrow in 61 blocks of 20 districts, with many of the areas considered rebel strongholds.This phase covers as many as 999 panchayats where 40,471 candidates are in the fray for 12,011 posts of gram panchayat members, mukhiyas, panchayat samiti members and zilla parishad members. The electorate strength is over 32.58 lakh.“Polling parties have...

India has agreed to allow a market mechanism in a Forestry scheme, Reduced Emissions from DeForestation and Degradation (REDD), though critics claim this may weaken the traditional Forest rights of tribals.However, environment minister Jairam Ramesh insisted REDD schemes would have no impact on India as most of the money will go to Brazil and Indonesia. “We will receive a negligible amount,” he said, while noting India didnot oppose the market...

In response to growing frustration that the U.N. climate negotiations are not producing real-world results, individual nations, states and business are cobbling together patchwork solutions to preserve Forests, produce clean energy and scrub pollution from the air.Under this new approach, businesses in California will offset their greenhouse gas emissions by funding tropical Forest preservation in Mexico and Brazil; Japan will help pay for nuclear power plants in developing nations; and...

South Asia in general and India in particular have the dubious distinction of standing out for wrong reasons every time a new global poverty report is released. We not only have the largest number of underweight children, a very high maternal mortality rate and the world’s highest number of out of school children but we also top the global malnutrition chart. (See links below for more details)  However the 2011 United...