-The Times of India PUNE: Tiger deaths persisted in the country despite the Union and state governments' efforts towards conservation. The country lost close to 41 tigers from January until August 9 this year, similar to the count in the SAMe period in 2014, reveals fresh data from National Tiger Conservation Authority and TRAFFIC-India, the wildlife trade monitoring network. The data further revealed that tigers are dying not just from natural causes, but...

-Hindustan Times Several BJP-ruled states have brought rules and orders that could scuttle implementation of the forest rights act (FRA), reveal documents available with Hindustan Times.   The 2006 law upholds consent of villagers to divert forestland for industrial projects, considered a stumbling block to the Union government’s push for industries. The three forest-rich states of Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, which are home to a sizeable tribal population, have come up with rules...

-The Times of India Neetu Meena, 16, in a pale blue uniform, wants to become a nurse. She is the first girl in her family to get this far at school. Schooling is not only free, she gets a scholarship and a bike to come in to the senior secondary government school in Jhar village, Bassi, near Jaipur. At the school, a blackboard lists about twenty schemes, from special scholarships for girls,...

-The Times of India JAIPUR: Eight villages in the arid regions of western Rajasthan are fast progressing towards sustainable development by venturing into growing Shankhpushpi, a medicinal herb which is scientifically proven to enhance memory and brainpower. Situated in the arid region with annual rainfall less than sufficient even for one crop in a year, the farmers grows traditional crops Bajra, Guar and Moth that have less commodity value. Until recently, they...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: With the parliamentary committee examining the land bill failing to reach a consensus, the government is likely to allow the current ordinance to lapse and look to tweak the earlier 2013 law to spur industrialization and infrastructure development. Fierce arguments between Congress and BJP members over the retrospective 24(2) clause and clause 101 dealing with return of unutilized land ensured the joint committee of Parliament did...