-The Hindu Police lathi-charge agitators after group clash Bhubaneswar: It was people's resistance that forced the administration to put off a public hearing on environmental clearance for coal mining at Machhakata in Chhendipada Block of Odisha's Angul district on Thursday. The State Pollution Control Board along with the local administration had made arrangements to conduct the public hearing despite strong opposition to mining in the coal block allotted to Mahaguj Collieries Limited, an...

-The Business Standard The ministry has eased coal production expansion norms "to quickly ramp up coal production for enhancing power generation" The Centre has set up a high-level committee to review various environmental laws. According to an environment ministry note, the panel, headed by former cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian, will review the Environment Protection Act of 1986, Forest Conservation Act of 1980, Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, Water Act of 1974...

-Down to Earth Tells states to keep big contractors out of nutrition programme for children, and pregnant and lactating women The Supreme Court on Monday directed two BJP-ruled states, Gujarat and Rajasthan, to start decentralised procurement of rations for the child nutrition programme, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). ICDS, which was started in 1975 and is now a part of the National Food Security Act, provides for supplementary nutrition for all children from...

-The Indian Express The bench sought to know whether there were any guidelines by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the subject matter. Can a parallel process of trial by media be permitted when it can trample upon fundamental rights of an accused and interfere with free and fair decision-making? Concerned over trial by media, which is often supplied with crucial facts on evidence by investigating agencies and prosecuting officers, the...

-The Hindustan Times The entire framework for monitoring environmental compliance is being dismantled systematically. This is a process that actually began with the UPA government, which replaced the feisty environment minister Jairam Ramesh with the more pliant Jayanthi Natarajan. With industry lobbies still crying wolf, she too made way for Veerappa Moily, the petroleum and natural gas minister, without the UPA seeing anything contradictory in someone holding both those responsibilities. In just a month,...