The division bench of the High Court of Bombay at Goa constituting Mr Justice S B Deshmukh and Mr Justice F M Reis held on Friday that the allotment of land as special economic zones was illegal. Several petitions concerning the controversy of allotment of land at Verna as SEZ were disposed of. While several public interest litigations were filed by the villagers of Keri, Sancoale and Verna, challenging the GIDC’s decision. Read more »
Despite having burned its fingers with export processing zones, which mainly involved a number of substantial fiscal benefits, the government has gone into overdrive to push its new policy on special economic zones. The difference, this time around, is the gargantuan scale on which the project is being pitched. Read the entire article
Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world and India is no exception. In fact, it contributes to a great extent in the global economy. States like Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim depends heavily on the income generated by catering to the travellers. India is no exception. But there is a problem here. Tourists create livelihood and contribute generously to the states’ kitty. But they leave behind a trail of muck. No wonder everyone, everywhere in the world is talking about Tourism footprint. Read more »
More women than men work under the national programme that guarantees employment to rural people. In the current fiscal till October, women availed of more than 50 per cent of employment created under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Their participation has been growing since the inception of the Act in 2006. This is remarkable given that only 28.7 per cent women form a part of the country’s workforce, according to the National Sample Survey Organisation data of 2004-05, the latest such data available for the country. Read more »
Oil wells fitted with pumping devices are a common sight in Mehsana district, north of Ahmedabad. For the state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) the district is the most prized onshore oil asset in India, producing about 40,000 barrels crude oil a day. But for farmers the wells spell ruin. Read more »
The MOEF Minister has launched a landmark report that demonstrates the economic significance of biodiversity loss and eco-system degradation. This report suggests a tiered approach to analyzing problems and ascertaining suitable policy responses. The Minister gave a keynote address highlighting the importance of putting a monetary value on biodiversity and the ecosystem as a method to emphasise the similarity between economic development and conservation. Read Report Read more »
India has made remarkable progress in combating HIV/AIDS over the last ten years by reducing the overall exposure to this killer disease by 50 per cent, says a global report issued by a U.N. agency on the epidemic. Besides, the Indian drug companies played a vital role in supplying the first-line drugs for HIV/AIDS patients in poorest African countries at phenomenally cheap prices, the UNAIDS said in its report. Read more »
A senior researcher from Indian Institute of Science (IISC) Bangalore has predicted that climate change in next four decade will affect 20 percent of the Western Ghat, which is a bio diversity hot spot. IISC’s forest and bio diversity assessment team head, H N Ravindranath has feared that the there will be more forest fire. The researcher also feels that there will be pest attack and diseases, dwindling the cover forest.
