This edition of Thirty-six takes a breather from narrating grim accounts of conflicts across India to tell you about this rare, and thus far unreported, instance of the central government quietly going back on a controversial decision that could have resulted in conflict had it been implemented.
We are talking about the much-criticized decision by the union environment ministry, under former minister Prakash Javadekar, to seek bids from private law firms and other independent entities for amending India’s oldest law on forests, the Indian Forest Act 1927. The law serves two key purposes: create legally protected forests and regulate transit of …
Akshay is an investigative reporter and former writer at The Morning Context. Based in Delhi, he writes about the environment, public policy and economy from the lens of the pulls and pressures of an ambitious democracy. Akshay uses the right to information extensively for reporting stories of vital public interest. Over the past decade and more, he has worked for HuffPost India, Frontline, The Economic Times, Down To Earth and DNA.
akshay@mailtmc.com