that seeks to amend forest act Aug 03, 2023 https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/parliament-clears-contentious-bill-that-seeks-to-amend-forest-act-101691002458287.html The Rajya Sabha cleared the contentious Forest Conservation (Amendment) bill 2023 on Wednesday, opening the door for development and exploitation of vast tracts of forest lands that are not recorded as such in government records and potentially endangering sensitive ecosystems in the Northeast that fall under a national security exemption. The forest bill was passed after a debate lasting one hour and 40 minutes without any member from the Opposition that walked out over the violence in Manipur.
And, with the controversial Biological Diversity Amendment bill -- which sparked a row for exempting users of traditional knowledge and Ayush practitioners from sharing benefits with local communities -- that was passed by the Upper House on Tuesday, it marks the beginning of a new era in India’s environmental protection regime.