Minister for Environment and Forests Surveys Kaziranga National Park Announces Measures for Relief

The Minister for Environment and Forests, Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan visited the Kaziranga Reserve, Assam on 10 October, 2012, for an appraisal of the flood situation and the relief measures undertaken.

Besides making an aerial survey of the landscape, the Minister visited the reserve along with the Chief Minister and the Forest Minister of Assam, accompanied by officials of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Wildlife Division of the Ministry, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and State Chief Wildlife Warden, Field Director-Kaziranga and other officials.

Seventh Annual Convention of Central Information Commission on “RTI: Lessons Learnt”

Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India has inaugurate the 7th Annual Convention of Central Information Commission on “RTI:Lessons Learnt” at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi . The Central Information Commission (CIC) had been organizing a Convention every year on 12-13 October to appraise the implementation of the RTI Act, 2005. The Commission in the past six conventions organized so far, has deliberated and discussed a wide range of issues relating to the Act and its implementation with a view to learning from experiences as well as to chart the future road map for greater transparency and accountability.

RTI Act can't violate personal privacy

Raising concern about the possible infringement of personal privacy while providing information under the Right to Information Act, prime minister Manmohan Singh said a fine balance should be maintained between the Right to Information and the Right to Privacy, which stems out of the Fundamental Right to Life and Liberty.

Tiger Authority can notify tourism norms, subject to challenge

The Supreme Court has permitted the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Ministry of Environment and Forests, to notify its fresh Comprehensive Guidelines on Strategy, Tiger Conservation and Tourism in and around Tiger Reserves.

A Bench of Justices A.K. Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar, however, made it clear that it would not validate or invalidate or give its seal of approval to the guidelines. With several States pointing out certain deficiencies in the guidelines, the Bench said, it would be open to the aggrieved parties to challenge them.