Cabinet approves setting up of National Investment Board

The Union Cabinet has cleared way for setting up of National Investment Board (NIB). It has been renamed as Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) and will be chaired by prime minister and comprise members from various ministries. “The Cabinet has given an in-principle approval to the committee on December 13. It will take a week’s time to decide on its members and function. We will put up the details on our website by next week,” says K L Sharma, joint secretary in the Cabinet secretariat.

Karnataka Biodiversity Board washes hands of Bt brinjal biopiracy case

The Karnataka Biodiversity Board (KBB) has washed its hands of the Bt brinjal biopiracy controversy, saying the matter comes under the purview of the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA). Bt brinjal made headlines when it was found that Mahyco, partner of US biotech giant Monsanto,  had developed Bt brinjal using 12 indigenous varieties of the vegetable, accessed from various states, including Karnataka. These indigenous brinjal varieties were used without approval, which is a violation of the Biodiversity Act of 2002.

‘Commercial interest cannot drive lake conservation in Bengaluru’