Some projects under the Smart Cities Mission would not be able to meet the June 30 deadline and the respective state governments would be responsible for completing them thereafter, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs. In its report on the …
Tobacco Ban The Rajya Sabha's clearance of the tobacco bill has attracted an ad from the industry criticising the ban imposed on the sale of tobacco products near educational institutions. The notice argues that the ban would create massive unemployment. In a blatant attempt at emotional blackmail the ad complains, …
the Lok Sabha passed the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess (Amendment) Bill 2000 on February 18, 2003, during the ongoing budget session of parliament. The bill proposes a three-fold rise in the cess to be paid by industries consuming more than the maximum permissible limit of water. According …
The Chinese state council announced recently that it is on the verge of approving the Kyoto Protocol. Though the Chinese parliament is yet to ratify the treaty, it is known to rubber stamp decisions made by the council.
the Finnish parliament's go-ahead to the country's fifth nuclear plant has begun to take its toll, with environment minister Satu Hassi's putting in her papers. The decision to build Finland's fifth nuclear reactor comes after a two-decade break. The first four plants were established in the 1970s. The proposal for …
amid uproar, parliament recently passed the controversial Patents (Second Amendment) bill. Even though Union commerce minister Murasoli Maran gave an assurance that all safeguards to ensure easy availability of drugs at affordable prices were incorporated in the bill, there were voices of dissent. It was argued that the government had …
The passing of the Patents (Second Amendment) Bill, 2002, by both Houses of Parliament is one more step towards complete compliance with the trips Agreement (Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights). However, further amendments would have to be incorporated to completely comply with trips provisions, since the …
in a recent report, the parliamentary standing committee on energy has observed that stringent environmental regulations hinder the progress of projects conducted by the Union government's Department of Atomic Energy (dae). The report has also emphasised the need to promote nuclear energy. Critical of strict environmental regulations, the committee reports …
Heads of panchayati raj institutions have aggressively set the government a deadline to amend the Indian constitution and implement changes that would forcibly impact and empower Village India. It would give villages control over natural resources like water, minor forest produce and minerals, which at present lies with the state …
• Kochi has been selected as one of the centres for a major study, undertaken by the US-based Oakridge National Laboratory, to measure the phenomenon of global warming. • An innovative Green Card Yojana has been announced by the Madhya Pradesh government. The scheme is aimed at using foodgrain as …
What do you say when a Cabinet minister - an articulate and vocal one at that - refuses to appear on a television panel to discuss a serious public policy issue with you? Ram Naik, the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and I were invited by a private …
Environment protection as it exists today is more in the nature of response to a public outcry over government apathy. When the Indian law makers fashioned the constitution, little did they envisage the need for environmental legislation. The adoption of the great political document in 1950 was, therefore, sans any …
The Indian Biodiversity Bill has been cleared by the Parliamentary Standing Committee and is now before the house for approval. Not before time. Given that it has been over nine years since we signed the Convention on Biological Diversity (cbd) and that the bill has been drafted and redrafted it …
The biodiversity bill has finally been approved by the Parliament standing committee on science, technology and the environment. The last time the bill made it to Parliament in May 2000, it was referred to the parliament standing committee for further deliberations. Having a national biodiversity became essential after India signed …
Though India is one of the worst governed countries in the world, cracking at its seams in just about every area, from social welfare, food distribution, to environment and riddled with rampant shameless corruption, it is clear that the Indian media does not take the issue of governance seriously. We …
A welcome stepM S Swaminathan i am happy that at last the Lok Sabha has passed the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Bill. This is a major step in incorporating the ethics and equity provisions of the convention on biological diversity in a sui generis system of varietal …
the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956, which provides for adjudication of disputes relating to waters of inter-state rivers and river valleys, will soon be amended to incorporate the Inter-State Council on the Sarkaria Commission's recommendations. A bill to this effect will be introduced in the forthcoming session of Parliament. The …
after having revived the Arvari rivulet through the sweat of their brow, the 70 villages in the rivulet's basin in Alwar district, Rajasthan, have gone one step ahead. They are taking proactive measures to deal with the third consecutive year of drought. This is being done through the Arvari Sansad, …
The Arvari Sansad, or Arvari Parliament, is a shining example of community ownership and management of natural resources. After reviving the rivulet with assistance from the voluntary organisation Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), the people are absolutely confident of one thing: natural resources are best managed when communities regenerate these through …
The Biological Diversity Bill, which was introduced on May 15, 2000, in the Lok Sabha, is currently under scrutiny of the parliamentary standing committee on science, technology and environment. The committee is conducting a series of hearings with experts from across the country to get their opinion on the bill. …
Briefing paper on climate change for members of Parliament by Anil Agarwal - Calling upon policy makers to recognise India's stake in the international climate change negotiations.
