Dr. Ramesh Madav successfully tests GPS/GIS enabled tree census

October 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A series of consultations will be made before taking any decision on the release of Bt Brinjal in India, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said here Thursday. The minister's statement came a day after the government's biotech regulator approved the commercialisation of the genetically modified crop, leading to protests by environmental and farmers' groups.

September 25th, 2009 Coroner: 'Fed' written in pen on Ky. Census workerBIG CREEK, Ky.

September 24th, 2009 Census workers trained to deal with hostile peopleWASHINGTON — Violence against census employees is rare, the Census Bureau said Thursday, but it nevertheless trains its canvassers in how to deal with angry or hostile citizens. On Sept. 12, Bill Sparkman, a 51-year-old census canvasser, was found hanged from a tree in rural Clay County, Ky.

September 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government will complete the census survey across the country by next year for issuing the unique multi-purpose national identity cards for all citizens, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said here Friday.

September 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, whose country is a pioneer in promoting green technologies, Friday virtually endorsed India's stand on climate change but hoped that all countries will come to an agreement by the year-end. "The Indian approach is very ambitious.

September 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, said on Wednesday that India is looking forward to a fair and equitable agreement at Copenhagen meet on climate change. "We are definitely looking forward to Copenhagen.

August 18th, 2009 Census Bureau to hand-deliver forms in New OrleansNEW ORLEANS — Census forms will be hand-delivered in the city of New Orleans and surrounding areas affected by the 2005 hurricanes Katrina and Rita to get the most accurate count possible following concerns that the region could lose federal representation and funding. The measures announced by U.S.

July 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Many projects will no longer need environmental impact assessment (EIA) and clearance from the government, according to amendments to EIA rules proposed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh informed parliament Monday that the proposals included: * Threshold limits of construction projects (that require clearance) would be raised from 20,000 to 50,000 square metres * Modernisation and expansion projects without increase in pollution load would be exempt from EIA provisions * Prospecting of minerals would be exempt * Biomass based power plans up to 50 MW would be exempt Ramesh informed the Rajya Sabha in response to a question that the amendments envisaged more involvement of civil society groups in environmental clearance.

July 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Rs.11,200 crore (Rs.112 billion/$2.2 billion) released by the Supreme Court last week for compensatory afforestation will be used to improve the tree cover in six million hectares of degraded forest land all over India, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said here Wednesday. The money will be sent to state governments, starting with 10 percent next week, he added.

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's Finance Commission has been asked to recommend that states that have kept their forest cover intact be rewarded for it. "There should be an incentive to states to keep their forest cover," Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said here Thursday.

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A Rs.500 crore (Rs.5 billion) programme to restore and regenerate India's forest cover has been included in the budget unveiled by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said here Thursday. Buried in the expenditure budget, the "major new scheme" did not receive the attention it deserved, he said.

June 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India will not sign any treaty that legally binds it to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh reiterated here Tuesday, attacking a proposed US legislation that seeks to financially punish countries that refuse to take on such targets. At a time when climate change - along with terrorism and the economic downturn - is dominating the international agenda, Ramesh told the media that India "must stop looking at climate change purely as an international issue".

January 31st, 2009 SHIMLA - Intiatives to improve trade with Pakistan will remain suspended till it cracked down on architects of the Mumbai terror attacks, said Minister of State for Commerce, Industry and Power Jairam Ramesh here Sunday. 'Trade improving initiatives (with Pakistan) cannot be resumed till the conspirators of Mumbai terror attacks are brought to justice,' Ramesh told reporters on the sidelines of a function.

January 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Hailing India as an 'El Dorado' for nuclear business, the government Monday ruled out the participation of the private sector in the country's burgeoning civil nuclear industry for at least five years. Announcing an ambitious plan to expand atomic power generation to 50,000 MW by 2040, the government also underlined that India would not only be an importer of nuclear equipment but could also be an exporter of fast-breeder and thorium-based reactors.

January 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Indian Inc. needs to shift its focus from trade to investment in order to compete with China, Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh said here Monday.