Nepal earthquake: death toll crosses 3,600

The toll may further rise as bodies are still feared trapped under the rubble. US, UK and India offer financial aid to Nepal

Rural crisis imminent as budget gives villages a miss

Cut in allocation for rural development comes at a time when most villages are witnessing reverse migration, resulting in 3 per cent dip in rural …

Failure to use funds behind Gujarat’s child malnutrition problem

Gujarat fails to use funds for mother, child nutrition

Farmers detained for 'incident-free' Vibrant Gujarat summit

Facing losses due to low prices of cotton and groundnut, farmers planned a rally last Sunday to catch the government’s attention

Jharkhand braves bullets to create polling record

Heavy turnout of voters in Naxalite-affected areas forces political parties to rethink campaign strategy which so far had ignored development …

No consensus on HFCs at Montreal Protocol meet

Hydrofluorocarbons to be discussed in an informal group after many nations oppose formation of contact group to discuss the greenhouse gases

Health

Funding for the National Health Mission has been reduced by 20 per cent; spending on public health will also be reduced by 8 per cent

Help Kerala’s rubber sector recover from crisis, urges state finance minister

In the run up to Union Budget 2015, M Suchitra speaks to Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani to draw up a list of the state’s expectations …

Climate change high on agenda during Obama visit

Outcome of India-US dialogue, particularly relating to renewable energy, will guide India’s intended contribution to global efforts to …

Budget biased towards Andhra, fumes Telangana

Country’s newest state gets a horticulture university and a Debt Recovery Tribunal while Andhra gets an IIT, AIIMS, 20 industrial clusters …

Why Rs 200 crore for Patel statue?

Statue of Unity, projected as the world’s tallest structure, has no environment clearance and will displace tribals

Namami Gange

Narendra Modi-led government’s flagship programme to restore purity and glory of India’s holiest river has made little progress on ground

Environmental clearances

Clearances to coal mining projects has been a priority for Narendra Modi government

Cabinet committee decides to reduce food buffer stocks

Go ahead for Department of Food and Public Distribution to offload excess stocks in the open market or export

NDA government sets up high level panel to amend green laws

Industry has been complaining that requirements set out under these laws have been hindering economic growth

Telangana observes bandh over Polavaram project

Residents are annoyed over Modi government’s decision to merge 136 villages that would be submerged when the project will be completed

India performs poorly in sanitation and water accessibility

A global index finds no significant correlation between GDP and performance as China and India, the two fastest growing Asian economies, are …

Too many centuries may not win the match

Finance minister allocated Rs 100 crore to 28 programmes, but far less sum to schemes catering to the masses

Budget 2015 proves a dampener for climate action

Finance minister talks about Clean Energy Fund, but forgets crop insurance

Air pollution

The Modi government released the National Air Quality Index (AQI) for public information

Ministries battle over applicability of Forest Rights Act

As development projects continue to receive Centre’s push, officials within the government fear that rights of tribal communities are …

Modi forges climate ties with Obama

During his US visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed support for new global climate pact to be signed in Paris by end of 2015; two …

Supreme Court questions legality of National Board for Wildlife under Narendra Modi

Bars newly constituted board from taking fresh decisions

Experts hail doubling of cess on 'dirty' coal

Money collected from the cess gets deposited in the National Clean Energy Fund but doubts remain over its usage

States told to roll out contingency plans

Plans cover crops, poultry, livestock and fisheries; Centre allows use of funds from agriculture schemes for funding contingency plans