Fond of making an impression with that extra loud horn in your car? The next time you go for 'pollution under check' (PUC) certification, it is likely you won't get it if your car is found to be too noisy.

Following a PIL, National Green Tribunal has passed an order to curb noise pollution in Delhi, outlining actions that include making noise pollution a compoundable offence.

PANJIM: In a decision that has set the alarm bells ringing, the Department of Mines and Geology has issued an NOC to a trading company, Prime Minerals, effectively owned by Timblo–run Fomento group to transport and export ore through Goa, officials said, opening up a debate on whether this circumvents the total ban orders on transport and export issued by the Supreme Court and whether it effectively amounts to contempt of court.

The decision has raised a furor among activists and members of civil society, who termed the decision as contempt of court and questioned the hurry in not waiting for the Apex court decision. They also expressed fears that the mining illegalities and pollution would come to haunt Goa, as the State would return to square one.

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday directed the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike to constitute committees in each ward of the City to monitor garbage disposal, before January 21.

The direction was issued in a public interest litigation filed by G R Mohan, a city-based advocate and others alleging failure on the part of the Palike in disposing garbage generated in the City.

The Supreme Court today summoned the Health Secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and four other states to explain the falling ratio of girl children despite the ban on sex selective abortions.

The other Health Secretaries, who will have to appear in the SC on February 12, are of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra. A Bench comprising Justices KS Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra passed the order on a PIL filed by the Voluntary Health Association of Punjab, seeking proper enforcement of the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994.

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre’s response on a PIL accusing multinational pharma giant Glaxo Smithkline of having conducted unauthorised trials of its cancer vaccine on tribal girls.

A bench headed by Justice KS Radhakrishnan, while seeking reply from the health ministry, also directed the Christian Medical College, Vellore, to examine the medical records of the seven girls who have allegedly died during such trials, and submit a report to it.

PANJIM: The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has discharged all show cause notices issued to 43 mining firms, over excess iron ore production (beyond the environment clearance limit), claiming that the Board is not in a position to verify the data and pointing out that the Supreme Court is currently seized of the matter. Goa Foundation, which had submitted the data, has already withdrawn from the matter as the Apex Court is seized of it based on its PIL.

The Board said “as there is no conclusive evidence before them” regarding the mining units having exceeded permissible limits in extraction of mineral ore, which can only be conclusively verified by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) that is the relevant authority to verify it, it was disposing off the matter.

The Karnataka High Court on Friday ordered issue of notice to the State government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking a direction for publication of the report of the one-man judicial inquiry commission, which had inquired into the irregularities in purchase of coal and transformers in the period between 2002 and 2009 by Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL).

A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice K. Sreedhar Rao and Justice B.V. Nagarathna passed the order while hearing the petition filed by Vaijnath Patil, the former Minister.

Pulls up Centre for failure to check malpractices by MNCs

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed that until further orders all clinical trials on drugs will have to be conducted under the direct supervision of the Union Health Secretary to prevent illegal trials by pharmaceutical companies. A Bench of Justices R.M. Lodha and Anil R. Dave expressed serious concern over the menace caused by uncontrolled clinical trial of drugs on humans by multinational companies and pulled up the Centre for failing in its duty to control this menace and putting in place an effective mechanism.

The High Court on Wednesday asked the government to stop immediately all activities, including selling plots, earth-filing and advertisement, of housing project Ashiyan City.