-Hindustan Times Mumbai: Alleging that the Centre was diluting environment protection laws to allow construction in ecologically important areas, citizens and environment groups have filed 3,971 objections against the draft environment impact assessment (EIA) notification, 2020 proposed by the Union environment ministry. On March 12, the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC) presented the new rules that will replace the 2006 EIA notification, which is presently in force, in...

-Newsclick.in Release of the draft during a lockdown, which seeks to fundamentally changes India’s environmental regulations, shows BJP government’s utter disdain for public opinion. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had released a Draft Notification on Environment Impact Assessment 2020 (EIA Notification 2020) on March 12, 2020, on the eve of the world’s largest nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and had called for responses in the next...

-The Indian Express Kanchi Kohli of the Centre for Policy Research said, "Environmental laws need to be strengthened and not relaxed as is the draft EIA. For instance, the gas leak that in Visakhapatnam today; while this is an accident, there will now have to be an investigation to see whether this was a lapse." After receiving numerous representations for extending the notice period of the draft Environment Impact Assessment notification 2020,...

-Press release by Right to Food Campaign dated 8th May, 2020 The Right to Food Campaign has issued a statement insisting the central and state governments to ensure that all labourers get free rations, transport facilities and are treated with dignity.   Please click here to access the statement issued by Right to Food Campaign insisting on free rations, transport facility and dignity for stranded migrants. For more information, please contact the following...

-The Hindu Figure falls to 7, as against the UN-set target of 8 for 2020 Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): In a significant achievement, Kerala has brought its infant mortality rate (IMR), down from 10 to the single digit of 7 (per 1,000 live births), according to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin. This means that Kerala has achieved the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target for IMR reduction, set at eight for the year...