The centre, in a major reshuffle of rural development programmes, has brought down the number of centre-sponsored schemes from 214 to 99, says an official of the Union Ministry of Rural Development.

The third report of the National Family Health Survey was carried out during 2005-2006 and provides information on the population, health and nutrition in all 29 states. A total of 199,000 men and women were interviewed to collect data. The International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, carried out the survey with technical assistance from Macro International of the US. The Government of India, US Agency for International Development, Department for International Development, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF and the UN Population Fund provided the funds.

the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers is deliberating on a mechanism to promote neem-coated fertili

On May 16, 2007, in a temporary relief, the Supreme Court permitted the Union ministry of new and renewable energy (mnre) to subsidise five pilot waste-to-energy plants. The ministry is taking this

the empowered group of ministers (EGoM) lifted the freeze on special economic zones (sezs) on April 5, 2007, with some policy dilutions. It fixed the upper limit for sezs at 5,000 hectares.

the 2007 Union budget has brushed representations for tax reliefs from the pesticide industry. While environmental groups are relieved, pesticide manufacturers have criticised the government's

the draft environmental impact assessment (eia) notification has been available for comment on the Union ministry of environment and forests (moef) website for almost a year now. Consequently, moef