In September 2010, a large public meeting was held in Guwahati to discuss the impact of large hydroelectric projects in the Northeast. In attendance was Jairam Ramesh, then the minister of environment and forests in the government of India. Ramesh heard that the people of Assam were worried that the hundred and more dams being planned in Arunachal Pradesh would reduce water-flows, increase the chance of floods, and deplete fish...
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Congress OBC lobby blocks govt move to raise bar for 'creamy layer' reservations-Subodh Ghildiyal
The OBC lobby within Congress blocked the government proposal to enhance 'creamy layer' for reservations to Rs 6 lakh, protesting it was on the lower side. The resistance prompted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to refer the issue for consultations. The fresh look may be handed over to a group of ministers (GoM) or be done by social justice ministry that had moved the Cabinet note. Revised every four years, the 'creamy...
More »To know, is to protect-Madhav Gadgil and Ligia Noronha
A scientific and public scrutiny of the methodology used by the expert panel will only add to the efforts to save the Western Ghats. On May 23, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) posted the report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) on its website honouring a landmark judgment of the Central Information Commission triggered by an activist seeking access to the material. In this judgment, the CIC...
More »Centre land prod on money-saver project-Pheroze L Vincent
-The Telegraph In the time of a harsh summer, the Union power ministry is set to turn up the heat some more on the Jharkhand government for its inability to sort out land acquisition issues for a power plant in Hazaribagh that holds the promise of easing the state’s power woes in the near future. Awarded to Reliance Power in 2009, the 3.960MW Tilaiya Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) will be the...
More »Extend promotion quota to OBCs: Dalit body to government-Subodh Ghildiyal
A top dalit panel has asked the Centre to extend reservation in promotions to OBCs, adding a twist to the controversy over 'promotion quota' simmering since the Supreme Court quashed the Uttar Pradesh law last month. In a letter, the National Commission for SCs (NCSC) said, "The Commission feels the benefit of reservation in promotion should also be extended to OBCs as per Article 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution." It said...
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