With GBA, Bengaluru in-charge minister to become ‘de facto' mayor
While these powers are not fundamentally different from those currently held by the Bengaluru development minister, the Greater Bengaluru Governance (GBG) Act, 2024, marks a shift from the long-standing tradition of having a single mayor for the city. It allows for the creation of multiple municipal corporations.
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NDTV
39 minutes ago
- NDTV
Kerala Seeks To Amend Wildlife Act To Allow Killing Of Animals. Reasons Explained
Kerala, a state known for its lush forests and biodiversity, has been grappling with a surge in human-wildlife conflicts. These conflicts have led to the loss of human lives, injuries, crop destruction, and economic hardship for farmers. To address this crisis, the Kerala government has been pushing for amendments to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA), seeking legal provisions to allow the controlled killing or culling of certain wild animals that pose threats to human life and livelihoods. The Forest and Wildlife Department has been tasked with initiating the process to seek central government approval for culling wild animals, such as wild boars, that pose a threat to public safety and livelihoods. The Forest Secretary has been directed to draft a legislative proposal in consultation with the Law Secretary to facilitate the necessary legal provisions, as per a report by Matrubhumi. Here's why Kerala is advocating for these changes: Kerala's unique geography, with nearly 30% of its land covered by forests, places human settlements near wildlife habitats. Rapid urbanisation, habitat degradation, changes in agricultural practices, and regional fluctuations in wildlife populations have also intensified human-wildlife conflicts. From 2016-17 to January 2025, wildlife attacks in Kerala resulted in 919 deaths and 8,967 injuries, according to government data. The state has identified 273 out of 941 village local bodies as human-wildlife conflict hotspots. Human-wildlife conflict: Frequent encounters between humans and wild animals, such as elephants, tigers, wild boars, macaques, peafowl and bison, have resulted in loss of human life and property damage. Crop damage: Wild animals, like elephants and wild boars, cause significant damage to crops, affecting farmers' livelihoods. Public safety concerns: The presence of certain wild animals like monkeys and porcupines in human-dominated areas poses a risk to public safety. What Does the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Currently Allow? The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, is India's cornerstone legislation for protecting wildlife, prohibiting hunting and ensuring conservation of species and their habitats. It also includes provisions for dealing with animals that pose threats. Despite these provisions, the process is slow and bureaucratic. Only the CWLW, a senior state-level official, can authorise killing, leading to delays in addressing urgent threats. Non-lethal measures (capture, tranquilization, relocation) are prioritised, but these are often impractical due to logistical challenges or lack of suitable relocation sites. Court orders and guidelines from bodies like the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Project Elephant Scheme further restrict lethal action. Why Kerala Finds the Current Law Inadequate? Kerala argues that the Wildlife (Protection) Act's stringent regulations and centralised decision-making hinder timely responses to human-wildlife conflicts. The exclusive authority of the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) also creates bottlenecks. For instance, in remote areas like Wayanad, waiting for CWLW approval can delay action, endangering lives. In 2022, Kerala empowered local bodies to use licensed shooters to kill wild boars raiding crops. However, this measure failed due to a shortage of licensed shooters in rural areas and impractical guidelines, such as checking if a boar is pregnant before shooting. "Before shooting a wild boar, one has to examine whether it is pregnant or not. Such impractical guidelines have failed to serve the purpose. The growing population of wildlife has to be controlled to prevent threats to human lives," State Forest Minister A K Saseendran said. Here are other reasons: Declaring wild boars as vermin (under Section 62) was previously rejected by the central government, limiting the state's ability to control their population. Bonnet macaques, added to Schedule I in 2022, can no longer be captured or relocated without CWLW approval, despite their crop-raiding behaviour. Animals like elephants and tigers, protected under Schedule I, require exhaustive non-lethal measures before lethal action, even when they pose immediate threats. Crop losses (e.g., wild boars destroying up to 60% of yields in Wayanad) threaten food security and farmers' livelihoods. Fear of attacks has disrupted rural life, with 273 villages living under constant threat Proposed Amendments to the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1. Decentralising Authority: The proposal is to transfer the power to issue "kill permits" under Section 11(1)(A) and 11(1)(B) from the CWLW to Chief Conservators of Forests (CCFs). Notably, CCFs are senior officials stationed at regional levels, enabling faster, localised decision-making. This would streamline responses to wildlife threats, especially in conflict hotspots. 2. Declaring Wild Boars as Vermin: The government has proposed to declare wild boars as vermin under Section 62 for specific periods and regions, allowing controlled culling without legal repercussions. Wild boars are prolific breeders and cause widespread agricultural damage. Declaring them vermin would enable farmers and local bodies to manage their populations effectively. 3. Removing Bonnet Macaques from Schedule I: To allow capture and relocation without stringent approvals. 4. Legal Safeguards for Farmers and Officials: Protect farmers and field officers from prosecution when acting against wildlife threats, encouraging proactive measures. 5. Region-Specific Culling: Allow controlled culling of "man-eating" animals (e.g., tigers, leopards) in high-conflict zones, with clear guidelines to prevent misuse. Ethical Concerns Kerala's proposal to amend the Wildlife Protection Act to allow the culling of wild animals has sparked debates. Conservationists raise ethical concerns, citing potential harm to endangered species and ecosystems. Ecological experts warn of unintended population imbalances and emphasise addressing habitat degradation.
Time of India
44 minutes ago
- Time of India
Telangana high court to take up bail plea of mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy today
Hyderabad: The Telangana high court will on Tuesday decide the bail plea of mining baron and Karnataka MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy who was sentenced to seven years along with three others in the illegal Obulapuram mining case recently. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On Monday, Justice K Lakshman heard arguments in the bail petitions of Gali, Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) MD BV Srinivas Reddy and two others, and reserved his orders for Tuesday. Senior counsel S Nagamuthu argued the case of Gali and urged the court to suspend the sentence and release him on bail. While Srinivas Reddy's counsel Pappu Nageswara Rao, citing judgments of the Supreme Court, said that convicts who have served half of their term could be released on bail. In the current case, both Gali and Srinivas Reddy have served more than three and a half years of jail term as remand prisoners prior to their conviction. The lawyers said the case entrusted to CBI was about alleged illegal mining beyond leasehold areas and transgression of state borders, which finds no mention in its charge sheet, while the case against them was about violation of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act – which was not dealt with by the probe agency. They also pointed out that when those named as principal offenders – former mines minister Sabita Indra Reddy and former industries secretary Kripanandam – were acquitted, how can those charged with conspiracy be convicted? Opposing the bail pleas, CBI counsel Srinivas Kapatia said the convicts could not show any compelling circumstance that warrants interference by the court. The judge said he would only look at the bail pleas for now and made it clear that their main appeals will be heard from Aug 11. HC to take up Srilakshmi acquittal issue The judge, during the hearing, directed the registry to list before him the case of former industries secretary Y Srilakshmi (who succeeded Kripanandam). The high court had earlier discharged her from the case, but CBI had appealed in SC which directed the HC to hear the CBI version also before arriving at a conclusion. CBI made out a case that the HC had not heard their version before allowing Srilakshmi's plea. The judge said he would decide the issue before the expiry of a three-month deadline fixed by the apex court and directed the CBI to file its counter.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
WB Assembly condemns Pahalgam attack, to hail armed forces for precision strikes
The West Bengal Assembly's monsoon session commenced with condolences for the Pahalgam attack victims. A resolution will be tabled to commend the armed forces and condemn the terror act. BJP MLAs protested the omission of Murshidabad riot victims from obituary references. A chargesheet has been filed regarding the deaths of Haragobindo Das and Chandan Das in Murshidabad. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Kolkata: The monsoon session of the West Bengal Assembly began on Monday with obituary references made by Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay to those who lost their lives in the Pahalgam attack . The assembly will table a resolution on Tuesday appreciating the role of the armed forces for their precision strikes against Pakistan and PoK and to condemn the barbaric attack on tourists in Biman Bandopadyay, during the obituary references on Monday, said, 'The House expresses deepest concern against the barbaric attack. Hence, the House strongly condemns the act of terror against the values of humanity. We express condolences for the bereaved families and to all those who have been touched by the tragedy.'Regarding the resolution on Pahalgam, the Speaker said: 'It is a very important motion and I will table it from my Chair. There will be discussion on this for two hours. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will participate in the discussion'.Meanwhile, BJP MLAs, led by Opposition chief whip Shankar Ghosh, separately offered prayers for the late Haragobindo Das and Chandan Das, the victims of the Murshidabad riots and violence, outside the assembly premises. Ghosh said that the names of the murdered father-son duo were not mentioned in the obituary references by the late Chandan Das (40) and his father, the late Hargobind Das (70), were allegedly hacked to death by a mob as protests in Murshidabad's Jafarabad against the new Waqf (Amendment) Act, turned violent in April this year.A 983-page chargesheet has been submitted against 13 accused by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the West Bengal Police in Murshidabad's Jangipur court last week in connection with the double-murder of father-son duo in Jafarabad.
