Challenges posed by climate change hit centre stage in 2009 which saw the government doing a flip-flop ahead of the crucial Copenhagen summit even as the Opposition and experts alleged that India succumbed to pressure from rich nations on emission cuts.
Bird watchers and conservationists can heave a sigh of relief as the Centre has shot down a road-widening proposal that would have caused death of the Karnala Bird Sanctuary, some 60 km South-west of Mumbai. The standing committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) of the environment ministry in a recent meeting rejected the state government's plan for diverting a chunk of land from the sanctuary for widening of Mumbai-Goa highway.
The figures made available under the RTI Act reflects that the royal predators have been unsafe not only in non-protected area but also inside reserves, given that this year alone 14 cases of tiger mortality, including four tigresses and two cubs, have been reported till November.
"In the Naxalite-infested reserves, it will not be easy for the armed forces to keep a tab on the tigers as they can come in conflict with the equally well-equipped extremists," a top ministry official said.
A team of the Central Pollution Control Board, which visited the fabled Silk Route in 2007, a year after it was reopened for cross border trade between China and India, found that expansion of the trade route was disturbing the ecosystem of the area. "Reopened with an aim to boost trade between China and India, ongoing expansion of one of the world's highest navigable roads is in progress without any precaution of the possible environmental impact," the Board said.
Norway's special envoy to Colombo Jon Hanssen-Bauer said in an interview to PTI that India was to be the main partner for Sri Lanka in the future, and that Oslo was in regular touch with New Delhi over the issue of peace process in its neighbouring country.Norway had brokered the now-defunct ceasefire treaty between the Sri Lankan government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2002.
India has topped the list of foreign skilled professionals working in Norway, with fellow colleagues from other countries faring way behind.According to Norwegian Immigration Department figures for 2007, Indian skilled professionals constitute one-fourth of the total foreign qualified professionals inducted in Norwegian firms in the given year.
About 2,000-3,000 children are believed to be employed in the job of cracking 'American almond', as it gets sold at anywhere between Rs 340-400 per kg in New Delhi's markets.
The issue would come up for discussion at the meeting of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) at the Hague on Tuesday when India will insist that the ban should continue to save the endangered species.
Nearly six months after it was brought into force, the ban on employing children in homes as 'domestic help' lies more or less still on paper.
Under a 'healing touch' programme called 'Ehsas' (feelings) organised by the Central Reserve Police Force, about 60 of the children were in the capital on Wednesday to meet President A P J Abdul Kalam.
The Finance Ministry has sanctioned only 50 posts citing shortage of funds, official sources said.
Taj Mahal, India's most famous architectural wonder, on Tuesday joined the race to be named one of the 'New Seven Wonders of the World'.
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