Carbon Copy A freshly passed amendment to the Forest Conservation Act has created a stir among ecologists, parliamentarians and stakeholders. With several contentious provisions, the amendment reveals an afforestation push where rights and justice take a backseat to commercial interests. This week, amidst a raucous monsoon session, the Indian Parliament saw the passage of several consequential pieces of legislation in quick succession. Among them was the contentious amendment to the Forest Conservation...

The recently concluded Parliament session saw the passage of the highly controversial “Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023” amid wide protests and without much discussion. The bill is aimed to amend the erstwhile Forest Conservation Act, 1980. Among the changes suggested, the below preamble was inserted into the act, and the “Forest (Conservation) Act” is substituted by “Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam” in the principal Act. While the Environment Ministry claims that...

-The Tribune US spearheading move to force developing countries to open up to imports The US filed a fresh complaint against India at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) last week. In its submission, the US sought withdrawal of India’s import restrictions on genetically modified (GM) foods, including rice and apples. It said the demand for a non-GM certificate was disrupting American agricultural exports. This comes at a time when for no apparent...

-ThePrint.in In an affidavit filed before Supreme Court, environment ministry has said domestic production of GM Mustard will reduce India’s dependency on other countries to meet domestic demand. New Delhi: Defending the clearance given last month to the environmental release of Genetically Modified (GM) Mustard, the central government told the Supreme Court that the deployment of GM Mustard hybrids will contribute to India’s self-sustenance in the production of edible oil and shall...

-Hindustan Times The Supreme Court on Thursday sought the Centre’s response to an application seeking moratorium on the release of genetically modified (GM) mustard even as the Centre assured there will be no “precipitative action” from its end till November 10, the next date of hearing. The Supreme Court on Thursday sought the Centre’s response to an application seeking moratorium on the release of genetically modified (GM) mustard even as the Centre...