-The Indian Express A day after the Centre recommended promulgation of an ordinance to amend Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 and make it less stringent, former rural development minister Jairam Ramesh Tuesday said the change would pave way for forcible acquisition. The Act was moved in the Parliament and passed during Ramesh's term. "Both from the process and substance point of view, this is deeply disturbing....

-The Indian Express More girls in Prime Minister Narendra Modi home state Gujarat seem to be reporting ‘sexual abuse' than anywhere else in the country. According to a recent status report published by an NGO - Save the Children - over 63 percent girls in Gujarat have reported sexual abuse which is highest in the country. Madhya Pradesh (57%) and West Bengal (56%) stand second and third respectively in the report titled,...

-The Indian Express In a bid to ease the process of acquiring land, the Union Cabinet on Monday recommended the promulgation of an ordinance to amend the Land Acquisiton Act, 2013, by including five new categories of projects that would not require prior consent from affected families as well as Social Impact Assessment (SIA). These include projects related to defence, rural infrastructure and industrial corridors. The sensitive provisions relating to compensation, relief...

-The Hindu Amendments relax requirements of consent, Social Impact Assessment Seeking to strike a balance between farmers' welfare and the strategic and developmental needs of the country, the Union Cabinet on Monday urgently cleared an ordinance to unshackle defence, infrastructure and rural power projects caught in land acquisition procedures. Through this executive order, the Cabinet has amended the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The 2013...

-The Hindu High fluoride levels in water in 14,132 habitations in 19 States With drinking water in 14,132 habitations in 19 States still containing fluoride above the permissible levels, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry fears that a huge population is at risk of serious health conditions such as skeletal fluorosis. The Ministry has now urged the Drinking Water and Sanitation Ministry to ensure the supply of safe drinking water in these...