-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...

-Live Mint Developments a part of reforms initiated after apex court’s intervention to amend Drugs and Cosmetics Act The health ministry has tightened the norms for clinical trials by making it mandatory for companies to compensate patients who may suffer injury or death while participating in the trials even if they have not been caused by the drugs being tested.   So far, the compensation has been restricted only to cases where the...

-The Hindu The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to convene a meeting of chief secretaries of all States and Union Territories in six weeks for evolving a consensus in regard to the regulation of sale of acid in the States/Union Territories to prevent acid attacks. A three-Judge bench of Justices R.M. Lodha, J. Chelameswar and Madan B. Lokur gave this direction to the Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran who submitted...

-The Hindu Hearing of proposed 100-MW thermal power plant of KPR Industries postponed after stones thrown at dais Balabhadrapuram (East Godavari): The public hearing on the proposed 100 MW thermal power plant of KPR Industries (India) Limited on Wednesday between Dontamuru of Rangampeta mandal and Balabhadrapuram of Bikkavolu mandal in East Godavari district was disrupted by villagers and some ‘outsiders’. A total of 40 persons, including four policemen, were injured in lathi-charge and...

-The Times of India While the HRD ministry cries foul over budget cuts an independent report on education points out that despite significant rise in public spending, parents continue to opt for private schools with government educational institutions failing to offer quality education. Central contribution to elementary education increased by 90% from Rs 203 billion in 2007-08 to Rs 383 billion in 2012-13, while secondary school allocation rose by 271% to Rs...