Financial institutions may soon lend a helping hand to the environment sector, says the Indian environment minister

By lowering the price of diesel, the government has compromised on the health, of its citizens

THE draft of the Biological Diversity Act which is soon expected to be tabled in Parliament, is full of loopholes, says Vandana Shiva, director the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and

THE Union government is reformulating environmental clearance procedures in order to speed up green clearances for projects. Officials in the environment ministry have completed almost 90 per cent of the work. The new procedure is expected to be ready within a month.

IN ORDER to tap the potential of unirrigated lands, the Union government is formulating a new national policy on agriculture. The thrust of the policy will be finalised after discussion with states.

the ministry of environment and forests (mef) has redrafted the legislation on regulating access to India's biological wealth. The redrafted version has been sent to chief ministers of all

the Union government has shut down 125 highly polluting industries across the country while forcing 1,261 such units to install the pollution control facilities, according to a report. The ministry of environment and forests has identified about 1,551 large and medium industries in the 17 categories of highly polluting industries. Nearly 165 of them are still in process of installing the requisite facilities to control pollution, said the ministry's annual report.

The ministry of environment and forests has barred entry to ships that carry hazardous wastes, like polychlorinated biphenyl, which are banned under the Basel Convention. The decision has been taken

The health ministry is in a dilemma on whether to impose a ban on chewing tobacco products