Media-corporate links are structural. But journalists, certainly entrenched ones, can choose whether they wish to be stenographers or not. It was gratifying to have the head of India's most reputed business house confirm the existence of crony capitalism in the country. True, others have believed this for 20 years but it carries more weight when Ratan Tata says so. As he put it in a television interview with admirable candour: “Yes,...
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The Girl Who Was Once Nira Sharma by Sunit Arora
* Moved to London from Kenya in the 1970s. Schooled at Haberdashers’ Aske’s. Bachelor’s at University of Warwick. * Has three siblings. Father in aviation. Three sons from failed marriage with UK businessman Janak Radia. * India entry in 1995. Sahara liaison officer. India rep of Singapore Airlines, KLM, UK Air. * Floats Crown Air as MD in 2000, with sister Karuna Menon as partner. Secures FIPB clearance to...
More »Mining India's development by Rajendra Abhyankar
Vedanta, Posco and Sindhudurg. The issue is the same — the need for a well-thought-out policy relating to extractive and resource-based industry. The government’s withdrawal of mining permission to Vedanta on the Niyamgiri hills in Orissa’s backward Kalahandi district; the divided verdict by the Gupta Committee on the Posco iron ore project; and the environment ministry’s concern on 49 mining licences issued by the Maharashtra government for bauxite and iron...
More »Illegal mining threatens Sariska by Rachna Singh
Despite crores being spent in the name of conservation and Project Tiger, illegal mining activity is back in full gear in the protected area of Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary. "Rampant mining is going on at Jaisinghpura, Malana, Goverdhanpura, Palpura and Jamwa Ramgarh, in spite of the Supreme Court's 1991 order banning mining in the area. After SC's order, 215 mines were closed. But recently, some of them have restarted activity in the...
More »Minimum land regulation for lease in draft mining Bill spells trouble for Himachal by Hemlata Verma
Himachal Pradesh has expressed reservation over the provision of ‘minimum five hectares of land for granting mining lease’ under the proposed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill that has already got the nod of Group of Ministers. The existing Act, which will be replaced, did not have any such regulation. The government has already represented to the Centre that such large tracts of land for mining activities in Himachal, where...
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