With farm Acts out of the picture, the government may look at reforming the input side of the agriculture sector - regulations and rules that govern seeds, fertilisers and plant chemicals. Sources said such a blueprint, which is aimed at making the life of farmers easier, with quicker approvals but not compromising on quality, is in the works as part of the 100-day agenda of Modi 3.0. Also, ways to administer fertiliser subsidy more effectively and cutting down on leakages and diversions to build on the success of neem-coated urea are being thought of.
Given the serious allegations against the firm, did these members of the board fail in their duty to safeguard the interests of stakeholders?
Addressing a tribal rally marking 'Adivasi Adhikar Diwas' (Rights Day) in Jagannathpur village at the foothills of Niyamgiri hills close to Vedanta's alumina refinery, he said he would he would be their "soldier" in Delhi and continue their fight
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Karunanidhi has summoned all DMK MPs in Chennai on Tuesday, to discuss the nuke liability bill, common enterance test for medical students other political issues affecting the state.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Tuesday demanded an immediate halt to the setting up of a nuclear power project in Jaitapur and the environment clearance given to it, saying the crisis in nuclear reactors in Japan following the tsunami warranted a re-examination of the project.
Welspun Maxsteel, wholly owned subsidiary of the $3-billion Welspun Group, has kept its proposed steel factory plan in Maharashtra on hold due to the shortage of raw material and energy. The delay in environment clearances has also forced the company to keep the project in abeyance for now.
Actual construction on the Navi Mumbai international airport, which received the much-awaited environment clearances early this week, would begin in October next year as certain formalities remained to be done, said the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco), a nodal agency for the project.
Though the fate of the Rs 51,000-crore (Rs 510-billion) project hangs in balance after a four-member Forest Advisory Council filed a split report on withholding environment clearance, people in this coastal village, the hotbed of the resistance movement, are worried about getting displaced.
CBI has also named unknown officials of the union environment ministry in the PE.
Natarajan said she had an unpopular job but she never did anything wrong
The cabinet has already cleared the proposal and the inter-institutional group endorsed it last Friday.
A look at few marquee projects that are stuck for several reasons.
As many as 483 infrastructure projects, each worth Rs 150 crore or more, have been hit by cost overruns totalling more than Rs 4.43 lakh crore, according to a report. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation monitors infrastructure projects worth Rs 150 crore and above. Of the 1,781 such projects, 483 reported cost overruns and 504 were delayed.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions for the prime minister ahead of his rallies in Karnataka.
PCB CEO Wasim Khan insisted that the health and safety of players would be paramount and no player would be forced to go to England.
According to reports, the MHA is worried about a stampede-like situation at the event as there is 'no evacuation plan' in case of an emergency.
The environment ministry till May 2014 (still under UPA) ordered that cases like Vedanta's expansion plans need to consult people. But in December 2014, the NDA government reversed this position and in March 2015 the environment ministry extended Vedanta's environmental clearance till December 2018. This it did even while the question of the need for public hearing by projects in different kinds of industrial parks was being contested in the courts. This allowed the company to carry out construction.
Urban ministry changes rule before public consultation by environment ministry
The changes were made to several regulations in a coordinated manner by the environment ministry, the tribal affairs ministry and the mines ministry over a year.
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Arunachal Pradesh has urged the union home affairs ministry to pay special attention and expedite 'action-oriented' measures to build defence infrastructure in the state.
The environment ministry is likely to allow generic modification of food crops.
Modi's inability to make peace with a renewed Opposition will only embolden his coalition partners and it is just a matter of time before they begin asking probing questions besides politely disagreeing with his tactics, predicts Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
As many as 449 infrastructure projects, each worth Rs 150 crore or more, have been hit by cost overruns totalling more than Rs 4.29 lakh crore, according to a report. The ministry of statistics and programme implementation monitors infrastructure projects worth Rs 150 crore and above. Of the 1,736 such projects, 449 reported cost overruns and 547 were delayed.
'We will not accept the CAA and EIA. We have been protesting against the CAA since 2016, but this government has not listened to us'
Jayanthi Natarajan on Sunday dismissed reports that she was removed as Environment Minister because she held up clearances to projects and insisted that she resigned on her own.
IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that inducing artificial rain can only be attempted when there are clouds or moisture available.
A Cabinet note of the much-awaited legislation is ready and is likely to be put before the state Cabinet in the next 15 days.
Out of the 192 mining leases of iron and manganese ores in Odisha, 94 do not have environment clearance.
Companies with more than Rs 10,000 crore of debt would seek refinancing.
Lavasa will replace Rajan Watal, who retires on Saturday, even as the budgetary process is yet to be finally completed.
The Lafarge mining case has highlighted the appalling weakness of the environmental clearance procedures at all levels, writes Latha Jishnu.
As many as 403 infrastructure projects, each worth Rs 150 crore or more, have been hit by cost overruns of over Rs 4.05 lakh crore owing to delays and other reasons, according to a report.
The Delhi State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has granted environmental clearance to the proposal for the construction of the 'Executive Enclave' which will house the new Prime Minister's Office and Cabinet Secretariat.
Industry experts on Friday called upon the new BJP-led NDA government to focus on attracting investments in key sectors, especially the infra space, to revive growth and investor confidence.
'This is not a Sanjay Baru or Natwar Singh type of book. It's not a memoir. It's not a book to reveal conversations, real or imaginary. This is not a book to position myself at the centre of the world.' Jairam Ramesh on his stint as environment minister.
'Interim Budget has ignited the entrepreneurial spirit.'
'Our automakers export 50 per cent of what they manufacture and once the policy comes into play, which is in the next 2-3 years, we would become a Rs 10 trillion industry.'
While the responses of the candidates were predictable, depending on which side they belonged to, an interesting point slipped through when Rahul Shewale cited the Dharavi Redevelopment Project as a scheme that would add to Mumbai's importance. No big infrastructural project in Mumbai, he said, could be successful without the Centre's nod.
In the last 10 days, at least two high-profile companies joined the long list of those whose mega projects have come under the ministry's scanner.