‘BRAI will benefit both private and public sectors’

Does BRAI cater only to industry? The BRAI Bill promotes safe use of modern biotechnology by enhancing efficiency of regulatory procedures. BRAI will regulate research, import, manufacture and use of organisms and products of biotechnology. Therefore, the Bill not only helps the private industry but also supports the public sector. Interviewee:  V Ram Kaundinya

Stage set for GM crops

A bill to secure food for the poor

The National Food Security Bill (NFSB), the brainchild of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, was a part of the UPA manifesto in the 2009 elections. The Bill was first introduced in Parliament in December 2011. See also:    Food basket is shrinking India's hunger level constant for past 15 years Download pdf Summary of National Food Security Bill, 2013 Amendments to National Food Security Bill, 2011  

A compromised consensus

AFTER 19 months of intense negotiations between the ruling United Progressive Alliance government and opposition parties, the Land Acquisition (Rehabilitation and Resettlement) Bill of 2011 is close to being passed by Parliament. On April 18, the government claimed that all major political parties have reached a “broad consensus” on the Bill.

Old mandate, new law

WHEN Annapurna Devi visited the rainforests of the Amazon she wanted to bring back a memento that embodies the pristine beauty of the region. She chose some necklaces and earrings made of olho-de-cabra seeds, or the red and black tento seeds, which the indigenous communities turn into beautiful jewellery. Devi was the only one among a host of visitors from other countries to buy the jewellery. The Americans, Canadians and British loved the jewellery as much but said they could not carry it home because customs officials would confiscate any item that contained foreign plant material.

FDI in retail: UPA government agrees to judicial inquiry into Walmart payoffs

The hurdles for the UPA government in implementing FDI in retail sector continue. After winning the number game in Parliament, the government will now have to face a judicial inquiry and a legal battle on the allegations that retail-giant Walmart had spent over Rs 125 crore on lobbying in India.

Railways pulled up over scavengers

ON October 10, the Delhi High Court came down heavily on the Union Ministry of Railways and asked it to submit a detailed plan with “specific time frames and targets” to eliminate manual scavenging. It has asked the ministry to submit the plan by November 21. But the relief may be short lived as Parliament has cleared a bill that allows manual scavenging if individuals are provided with protective gears.

CAG and the environment

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is in news like never before. Courtesy: the political uproar over the CAG report on the auction of coal blocks that washed away the monsoon session of Parliament. This is not the only CAG report to touch on matters related to the environment. In recent weeks, the CAG office also published reports on nuclear safety and weak regulations for mobile phones and towers. Down To Earth tracked all of them. A selection of reportage on CAG:

Colonial hangover persists

Parkinson’s Law of Triviality states that the time spent on any item on a committee’s agenda will be inversely proportional to its significance. This seems to be happening with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The minister has moved a bill in the Rajya Sabha that seeks to amend the Indian Forest Act (IFA) of 1927.

Righting the copywrong

It was an opportunity for all MPs to come together and they made the most of it. There were long speeches, some mawkish, others rambling and nostalgic and much of it not germane to the issue on the table: the Copyright Act (Amendment) Bill, 2012.