The government on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking six months' time to set up an independent environment regulator, which will evaluate projects seeking green clearances, enforce terms for a

The Supreme Court had ordered setting up of an independent and powerful environment regulator to weed out corruption in grant of environmental clearances to projects but the Centre on Tuesday told it that it could only set up a body sans power to penalize violators and polluters.

While asking that a regulator be set up at both central and state levels by March 31, the apex court green bench headed by Justice A K Patnaik had on January 6 ordered that the regulator should evaluate projects, enforce environmental conditions for approvals and impose penalties on polluters.

As an alternative to the ministry design, group outlines proposal for a more powerful authority

Even as the ministry of environment met its March 31 deadline to submit a plan to the Supreme Court for a new environment regulator, a set of academics, activists and environmental lawyers have weighed in with their own design. Concerned that the ministry version “would not meet the minimum standards of an independent regulatory authority”, this set, called Watchdog and Action Group for the Environment, have proposed an authority that has greater powers and independence than the design outlined by the ministry.

The Congress has tried to make a virtue of the inevitable by packaging the Supreme Court’s orders for setting up a national environment regulator as a commitment in its Lok Sabha election manifesto

A panel set up by India's top court recommended lifting a ban on iron ore mining in Goa, albeit with conditions that include lowering production.

Miners in the western state, which exported almost all its ore before the Supreme Court order in October 2012, should limit output to 20 million tonnes, the panel said on Wednesday in a report. The quantity is about 40 per cent of what the state produced in the year ended March 31, 2012.

Mineral-rich states should ensure there is adequate staff in departments concerned to curb illegal mining which causes huge revenue losses, the Centre has said.

The development comes in the wake of the Centre noting the "woefully poor" conditions in Jharkhand with regard to measures being taken to limit illegal mining, including a staff crunch in the mines directorate.

An expert group has suggested restricting the availability and consumption of junk food or food high in fat, sugar and salt in schools and in a 50 metre radius around them.

Delhiites should not be subjected to a power tariff hike or load-shedding due to liquidation of regulatory assets or non-payment of bills by power distribution companies to generating companies res

Decision Will Deprive Farmers Of Free Water: Opposition

Lucknow: Residents of Delhi may have got reprieve after its former CM Arvind Kejriwal ordered free water, but people of Uttar Pradesh will in days to come have to cough up for each litre of water flowing out of the tap.

Ask Delhi govt to release pending subsidy of Rs 262 cr to stave off crisis; Tata Power rejects reports of taking over BSES areas

Reliance Infrastructure-owned power distribution companies, BSES Rajdhani (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna (BYPL), on Thursday moved the Supreme Court against power generator NTPC’s ultimatum on cutting their supplies next week over a payment default. The two BSES companies face the prospect of cancellation of their licences.