A port of no return: In Great Nicobar Island, a port was won, a wildlife sanctuary lost Pankaj Sekhsaria  https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/wildlife-sanctuary-great-nicobar-island-9499941/ 

 a category of land labelled by Indian law as coastal regulation zone ( CRZ)IA and second, the environmental clearance granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change ( MOEFCC) to a Rs 42,000 crore transshipment port in Great Nicobar Island's Galathea Bay. Coastal areas that are notified as protected areas ( wildlife sanctuary and national park), with mangroves, corals, turtle- nesting beaches, seagrass beds and nesting grounds of birds among others, are included in CRZ- IA . Significantly, they are out of bounds for large construction projects such as the port in question in Great Nicobar Island. The NCSCM,   National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management ( NCSCM) hence, concluded that no part of the project area is falling under CRZ- IA.”

The turtles still nest here, the mangroves still stand, the megapodes still forage and breed here and 20,688 coral colonies still flourish in the adjoining waters. This is still CRZ- IA, but now that the port has been approved, this cannot be IA. It should never have been IA in the first place. The cart was unfortunately before the horse all along but this has been corrected now.

introduction to VS and its work:

1. Alternatives Transformation Format
https://vikalpsangam.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Alternatives-framework-7th-avatar-post-VSCG-for-public-circulation-17.11.2023.pdf

2. Search for Radical Alternatives
https://vikalpsangam.org/wp-content/uploads/migrate/Resources/alternetivesframeworkbookletrevisedfinal1512.pdf

3. People's Manifesto 2024
https://vikalpsangam.org/article/vikalp-sangam-general-assembly-to-release-peoples-manifesto-2024/

4. Reports on Sangams
https://vikalpsangam.org/article/vikalp-sangam-reports/

‘Govt Can’t Have a Hands-off Approach, Must Investigate Hindenburg Allegations’: Policy Body 
https://thewire.in/government/govt-cant-have-a-hands-off-approach-must-investigate-hindenburg-allegations-policy-body The Wire Staff 

 The People’s Commission on Public Sector and Public Services (PCPSPS), a policy consultations body, has questioned the government’s nonchalant attitude towards Hindenburg Research’s latest allegations linking the Adani group with Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). “While the SEBI chairman may say that she has disclosed the details of her investments to SEBI, since she had been a full-time member of SEBI from April 2017 to March 2022 and the chairman thereafter, it is the government that would have appointed her to those senior positions. If any disclosure were to be made by her, she ought to have made such a disclosure not only to SEBI but also to the Ministry of Finance.

RG Kar Case: Five Critical Questions  Yet to Be Addressed by Mamata Banerjee Govt  https://thewire.in/government/five-critical-questions-for-mamata-banerjee-govt-on-the-rg-kar-hospital-tragedy
On Friday (August 16), chief minister Mamata Banerjee led a rally demanding justice for the doctor  at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last week. The institution is overseen by health minister Mamata Banerjee, while law and order also fall under her purview as she is also the state’s home minister.  These are the same questions protesters on the streets have been asking since the day of the incident. There are also several pressing questions that demand answers from the state government, health department, and police – all directly under her purview.

A seminar was to be organized on right to work  At IIT today (16/8/24)
However suddenly organizers were told to “postpone “ the meeting on the ostensible ground that yesterday the PM has already spoken on livelihoods and therefore a committee will be formed to examine the report and the speakers!
So now we cannot eve

BD: nothing surprises me about academic spaces anymore ..! They are bending backwards and kowtowing with vigour

FM: That is the saddest. What use is academics without spine

BD: Absolutely such decline! Very sad! Serious implications for future generations and the country

https://youtu.be/AzOsMlPt5qk?t=88  Credibility Crisis of the Regulator -

PUCL Moves High Court Over Rape-Murder Of Trainee Doctor At Kolkata Hospital, Seeks State's Report On Compliance With POSH Norms https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/pucl-approaches-high-court-over-rape-murder-of-trainee-doctor-at-kolkata-hospital-seeks-states-report-on-compliance-with-posh-norms-266922 Srinjoy Das  16 Aug 2024  calls for a court-monitored investigation into the brutal rape and murder and seeks a compliance report on the part of the West Bengal government in implementing the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH), ...According to the plea, the issue of institutional accountability also needs to be highlighted. 

A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya were hearing multiple pleas, including one by the parents of the victim seeking transfer of investigation to an independent agency.

Comment on Whatsapp SG: Most people know this is big corruption racket and she was targeted as she opposed it. It is crucial that all involved including higher authorities must be brought before court...Today was demonstration by doctors in Bombay and all of them were aware of this angle.

Who were appointed to key positions  https://youtu.be/qJ_CQ92P3tg?t=188 Hindenburg रिपोर्ट से चौकीदार फंसा Adani Madhavi Buch जाएंगे जेल ? 

 2024 की हर्षद मेहता बनीं सेबी की चेयरपर्सन ? | Madhabi Puri Buch | Adani | Hindenburg New Report https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZP0JIp5PXQ Neo Media

The representation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) has been improving, but is still lower than the recommended reservation benchmark set by Mandal Commission, employment data by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) shows

. https://theprint.in/india/obc-representation-in-public-sector-companies-improving-but-still-below-mandal-commission-benchmark/2225078/

The Print’s analysis of annual public sector survey reports — available only for the period from 2018 to 2023 — shows that the representation of OBCs in public enterprises rose from 19.1 percent in 2018 to 23.8 percent in 2023. However, it is still below the recommended reservation of 27 percent, as suggested by the 1979 Mandal Commission. The general category, which constitutes 15 percent of India’s total population, has the highest representation among employees in public enterprises at 49.2 percent.

by Sampurna Panigrahi 16/08/2024