India

The year 2011-12 is the last year of the Eleventh Plan and this is therefore an appropriate time to review what has been achieved with a view to identify weaknesses in the strategy that need to be corrected, and also identify new challenges that may require new initiatives. The paper is presented in the hope of spurring a broader discussion on these issues.

This has been followed with a discussion on issues of quality and quantity. The importance of groundwater in India’s water sector is highlighted. The presentation discusses how an increase in overall irrigated area, in spite of decrease in contribution from big dam irrigation projects was possible due to the steep increase in groundwater irrigated areas.

. It protects and nourishes the soil. It also saves the water and enriches the ground water reserves.

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The Delhi High Court in its order in C.M. No. 15895/2005 in Writ Petition Number 17682/2005 relating to the National Environment Appellate Authority (“the NEAA”) had vehemently said the following.

Justice (retd.) N. Venkatachala of the Supreme Court headed the NEAA for three years
The image above and on article thumbnail is from the website of the Supreme Court of India 

“The numerous orders passed by this court in the past three years reflect both the concern of the court and the considerable restraint exercised by it in refraining from proceeding against the concerned officials for disobeying its binding orders. However, the government has failed to take satisfactory steps to address the concern expressed by this court. It has failed to comply with the court's orders and has left it with no choice but to issue further mandatory directions to ensure that the legislative mandate contained in the NEAA Act is not frustrated by executive apathy. The government has to be made accountable in law for its disobedience of the court's orders…”

Article courtesy: Press Information Bureau

As per the modifications in Para IX of the common guidelines for Watershed Development Projects, 2008, in the multi tier approach, it has been proposed that there would be a multi tier ridge to valley sequenced approach which should be adopted towards the implementation of the Watershed Development Projects.

He said the beginning of industrialization marked the transition from merchant charity to industrial philanthropy in India which was more secular, more inclusive in terms of caste, creed and community and more oriented to bringing progress to society through western style modern institutions.

Apart from making political donations for the freedom struggle, business fraternity also contributed towards many of the social and cultural causes. Mahatma Gandhi expounded the theory of trusteeship of wealth. Influenced by his teachings, many businessmen contributed for the cause of removal of untouchability, women’s emancipation and rural reconstruction.

The paper sets forth for consideration a broad national perspective on the nature of water and on its prudent, wise, sustainable, equitable and harmonious use. The Ministry of Water Resources is at present engaged in revising the National Water Policy 2002. Iyer is of the opinion that instead of trying to make changes in the 2002 Policy, the Ministry should put it aside and draft a new policy, starting from first principles.

 The article dealt with the prediction of Indian summer monsoon rainfall by five atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) during 1985–2004.

Climate modeling studies indicate that there will be more spells of intense rainfall and frequent instances of extreme rainfall. This prediction is coming true, particularly in the central sector of the Himalayan belt, where there is pronounced decline in winter precipitation (both rain and snow) and prolonged spells of drought in summer broken by cloudbursts in localized areas.

The issues related to the Draft National Food Security Bill approved by the National Advisory Council (NAC) were taken up for discussion by the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) in their meeting on 11^th July, 2011 which approved it. The Bill has to be now ratified by the parliament where it is proposed to be introduced in December 2011 to become law. It would need about 61 million tonnes of grains a year, the bulk of which would be wheat and rice.

The EGoM tried to settle the differences between the views of the NAC and the Food Ministry on the contours of the legislation such as on coverage under the Bill, method to be adopted to ensure food security, amount of food grain required and the implication of the Act on the food subsidy ‘burden’. While the NAC had preferred legal entitlement to subsidised foodgrain for 90 per cent of rural population and 50 per cent of urban population, the Food Ministry was interested in lowering of the legal coverage for rural families. The Bill is now with the Law Ministry.