Ban on construction work at Maheshwar dam lifted

This despite Jairam Ramesh himself accepted rehabilitation was slow

Bamboo a minor forest produce: Ramesh

Forest departments had been refusing the control over bamboo by forest dwellers

Infant deaths continue in Attappady

As advisor to prime minister visits the tribal block panchayat, activists demand special care for pregnant adivasi women

Environment ministry backtracks on ban on tiger tourism

Will file an affidavit in Supreme Court, seeking review of guidelines that call for phasing out tourism from core tiger habitats

Socio-economic caste census: only 4 states, UTs complete survey

Union rural development minister, Jairam Ramesh, asks all states to sort out inconsistencies in preliminary data

Centre launches bio-toilets to curb open defecation

Around 100,000 toilets to be built in next two years in 300 gram panchayats

Jharkhand proposes MGNREGA worker unions

Work demand under the rural employment programme is decreasing in the state

A march to highlight land struggles in India

Beginning October 2, activists will cover 75,000 km in a year

Socio Economic and Caste Census could leave rightful claimants out of BPL list

Activists point out several drawbacks in the inclusion and deprivation criteria

Undone by rampant mining, illegal buildings

Uttarakhand government has made no attempt to enforce mining and building regulations in the state, which exacerbated flood's impacts

Two Andhra villages get bamboo rights

The gram panchayat can earn up to Rs 1 crore a year, says Jairam Ramesh

Non-profits organise conference to draw up a national river charter

Former environment minister, Jairam Ramesh, criticises Modi government for diluting environment regulations

Funds for social welfare cut drastically in revised budget estimates

Ministers write protest letters to prime minister and finance minister, saying it would greatly impact ongoing schemes

RTI activists’ murders: Jairam Ramesh demands prompt action, compensation to families

Rural development minister’s letter to Nitish Kumar includes four suggestions for better implementation of social welfare schemes

Another village, this time in Odisha, gets official permit to sell bamboo

Though Jamguda was conferred community forest right two years ago, it was not allowed to cart bamboo out or sell it in the market

New rules for coasts

Environment ministry notifies CRZ 2011. It has pro-builder bias, say fishers and activists

Land Bill gets new name and many amendments

States get freedom to decide whether land under multi-crop is to be acquired

Health millennium goals neglected in Asia-Pacific region: UN report

3 million children below five died in 2010 alone

Okhla waste to energy plant put on notice for excess emissions

Residents had complained to chief minister Kejriwal during janata durbar; plant shut for now because of boiler malfunction

Protocol to protect RTI activists in the works

If a single panchayat-level activist can expose corruption worth Rs 25 lakh, then each needs protection for effective implementation of …

Bamboo rights: Maharashtra gives priority to paper mill over Forest Rights Act

Chief Minister Prithvi Raj Chavan says agreement with Ballarpur Industries predates the Act

Criminal neglect takes toll on Attappady tribes

30 infants die in five months as result of malnutrition; rural development minister announces Rs 125 crore package

River flood plains remain go zones

Environment ministry dithers on notification seeking to regulate construction activities in flood plains

Centre launches MGNREGA 2.0

30 new types of work added to the rural job guarantee scheme list to restore demand for work under UPA's flagship welfare programme

Common concerns

As the commons come under increasing assault, academics, practitioners and policymakers come together to devise ways to protect shared resources