JAIPUR: The people's union for civil liberties (PUCL) has accused police and mine mafia of ganging up on those raising their voices against illegal mining at Dabla village in Sikar. The activists have demanded that all the false cases against the villagers including Kargil hero Jagram Singh should be withdrawn.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, PUCL said that in the last 18 months since villagers started raising voice against illegal mining in the region, the police have registered more than 12 FIRs against locals including Jairam Singh (Kargil hero), Sunil, Surendra and Moharchand.

In a boost to its indigenous nuclear power programme, India has discovered large uranium deposits at Rohil in Rajasthan’s Sikar district.

In a major boost to the quest for deposits of uranium ore in the country, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has come across another site with a large deposit of the mineral in Rajasthan.

The deposit found at Rohil in Rajasthan’s Sikar district is estimated at 5,185 tonnes, which makes it the fourth largest in the country after Tummalapalle, Chitrial and Peddagattu extension in Andhra Pradesh.

With heavy rain continuing to lash several parts of Rajasthan, the death toll across the state went up to 27 on Thursday.

Jaipur gets respite; adjoining districts of Dausa, Sikar and Sawai Madhopur continue to suffer

Rains continued to batter half a dozen Rajasthan districts in the eastern and northern parts for the second day on Thursday taking the toll of casualties to 26 in the past 48 hours. Though there was respite in heavy rains in Jaipur -- which had borne the brunt of rains the other day -- the adjoining districts of Dausa, Sikar, Sawai Madhopur and Karauli continued to reel under the impact of unprecedented outpour which the old timers put as heaviest in the past 30 years.

JAIPUR: Rajasthan's industries and mines minister Rajendra Pareek has said that illegal mining in the state was like a 'socially organised crime'.

Pareek rubbished the BJP's allegations that illegal mining in the state enjoyed patronage from the Congressmen and counter accused the opposition party of shielding the culprits during its rule from 2003 to 2008. At the same time, the minister said that despite the mining department's special drives organised to check illegal mining since 2009, the state has been unable to rid itself of the crime completely. He stressed that the present Congress government was committed to close down illegal mines in the state.

The SC mining ban may have saved the Aravalis in Haryana. But it’s getting blasted to bits in Rajasthan. Revati Laul tracks the illegal business that could be worth over Rs 50,000 crore

Maternal Death Reviews reveals many facilities show mothers the door soon after delivery

According to a study conducted on pregnancy-related deaths, a large number of women die during transit to a health facility or returning home after a delivery. ‘Maternal Death Reviews — Implications for Quality of Care,' (MDR) a review of maternal deaths done by the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) in Jhunjhunu and Sikar districts of Rajasthan between November 2010 and March 2012 has revealed that 90 per cent of these deaths had occurred during transit to a higher health centre.

Jaipur: With a view to increase the forest cover in the state, it has been proposed to confer the status of conservation reserves on eleven forests in the state. With that the total number of conservation reserves will go up to 24.

According to VS Singh, additional chief secretary, environment and forests, “The state wildlife board has given its approval and seven forest areas are to be notified, and is awaiting government approval in the cabinet