-The Hindu Bhandara: Three suspects were taken into custody “for interrogation” by the police on Wednesday in connection with the rape and murder of three sisters near Murmadi village in Bhandara district. “We cannot say they are culprits or suspects. We have rounded them up only for interrogation,” Bhandara Superintendent of Police Dr. Arati Singh told The Hindu . The police on Tuesday declared that the three sisters, who went missing on...

-The Guardian The government's decision to allow major infrastructure projects to go ahead without obtaining consent for forest clearance paves the way for the violation of village land rights, say rights groups Land and tribal rights in India have been dealt a new blow after the government announced last week that major infrastructure projects will be exempt from obtaining consent for forest clearance from tribal communities living in the forest, a decision...

-The Indian Express I had just boarded a flight when someone from a television channel called me on the mobile to ask for my reaction to the hanging of Afzal Guru. I did not know till then that he had been strung up to die. I instinctively replied that I felt saddened. It is a comment that is likely to haunt me, for many well-wishers have asked me why I did...

The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, the 73rd amendment and the landmark PESA and Forest Rights Act (FRA) have progressively acknowledged the rights, and special powers of the Gram Sabha in deciding developmental projects as well as playing a role in protecting the ecology and forests. But a clutch of clever exemptions in recent months are ensuring that centralised authorities take away the same powers through the back door, without routing...

-Down to Earth MoEF waives requirement of obtaining gram sabha certificates for linear projects. Will it dilute forest rights of people? Gram sabhas or village councils will no longer have the power to reject building of roads, railways, transmission lines or other such linear projects. The Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), on February 5, exempted developers of such projects from the requirement to obtain  consent of the gram sabhas to...