The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
This essay argues that the Forest Rights Act 2006 is designed on the principles of labour teleology. It undermines the foundational position of forests, prepares them to become a playground for profits and minimally serves the interests of the marginalised tribal and forest dwellers. The paper describes the basic features …
Central Planning Commission Vice Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia appreciated the use of information technology in the forest department of Madhya Pradesh Government and asked the officials to give presentation in Delhi in this regard. Ahluwalia along with forest minister Sartaj Singh apprised himself of application of information technology in the …
This paper presents an overview of the distinctive features of communal tenure in different community-based land and natural resource management systems. Communal tenure refers to situations where groups, communities, or one or more villages have well defined, exclusive rights to jointly own and/or manage particular areas of natural resources such …
AN EXPERT committee, formed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, has recommended that trade control of tendu leaves, critical for forest dwellers’ income, should vest in the state. The panel, headed by agriculture economist T Haque, was set up to ensure ownership rights of forest dwellers over minor forest produce …
MENDHA Lekha village in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra staged a novel protest on February 15. It organised a bamboo sale in the village to highlight the forest department’s refusal to grant transit passes to transport bamboo out of the village for sale. Mendha Lekha was one of the first two …
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has withdrawn its latest guidelines for creating inviolate space for wildlife. The decision to withdraw the critical wildlife habitat (CWH) guidelines followed a March 4 meeting between environment minister Jairam Ramesh, non-profits working on tribal rights, wildlife activists and the chief wildlife wardens …
In a letter sent to chief ministers of all states on March 21, environment minister Jairam Ramesh asked them to direct state forest departments to treat bamboo as minor forest produce. Read this letter sent by MoEF to the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Letter by Shri Jairam Ramesh to …
BHUBANESWAR: Orissa's 11,000-odd Joint Forest Management (JFM) committees, vested with the responsibility of protection of forests through a community-based approach, may soon cease to exist. If these bodies are not made compliant to Forest Rights Act (FRA) that is. Since the Forest Rights Act, 2006 gives gram sabhas the ultimate …
Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti organised a rally on Sunday to renew its opposition to the $12 billion project For Posco India, trouble for its proposed 12 million tonne steel project seems to be far from over. The South Korean steel major, which has been encountering strong opposition for five years …
FRESH guidelines by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to identify inviolate areas for wildlife have bypassed the Forest Rights Act of 2006. They threaten the interests of forest dwellers. Issued on February 7, they empower the Divisional Forest Officer and the Park Manager to arbitrarily identify areas in and …
THE past two rainy seasons 65-year-old Ramdas Rana has spent much of his sleeping hours adjusting his bed to an elusive dry patch. The thatched roof of his hut has been leaking since 2008. He could not repair it because the grass used for thatching is out of bounds for …
PEOPLE on the fringes of Kaziranga National Park are anxious. They fear eviction. On January 9, the Assam gover nment issued eviction notices to 10 families in the Kohora range of the park. Others in 16 villages, marked for park extension, fear it could be their turn next. Residents of …
While the Maharashtra government contends that there is a large number of false claims under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act 2006, Adivasis feel they have been short-changed by the State, which has denied legitimate claims. Thousands of Adivasis are marching to Mumbai from …
The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council has prepared a detailed set of draft rules for identifying critical wildlife habitats or areas within national parks and sanctuaries that would be free of human presence. The NAC
The government has collected Rs 3,124 crore under the Clean Energy Fund this year through an imposition of cess on coal, but it is yet to decide how and when to invest the money. A senior finance ministry official said an inter-ministerial committee will be approving schemes to be funded …
In the recent meeting of the apex National Tiger Conservation Authority, members pointed out seven specific instances where Forest Rights Act has been violated in an attempt to hastily declare an area free of people. Environment minister Jairam Ramesh said he would investigate each claim and allegation of violation of …
MAKING RESIDENTS OF TIGER FORESTS PARTNERS IN CONSERVATION IS KEY TO SECURING THE FUTURE OF THE BIG CAT M D Madhusudan & Pavithra Sankaran Since 2006, the environment ministry has demarcated and declared 39
