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The Centre granted environmental clearance to more than 80 per cent of the proposals for "projects and activities" in the eco-sensitive zones of the country in the last five years, Union minister Ashwini Choubey informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday. He also said the Standing Committee of National Board for Wild Life (SCNBWL) recommended a total of 689 proposals in the last five years. The minister said the environment ministry approved 43 of the total 53 proposals received in the last five years for "projects/activities" in the default eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) according to the provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006. ESZs are eco-fragile areas within 10 kilometers of the borders of protected areas, including national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. According to government data, SCNBWL recommended 153 proposals in 2018-19; 71 in 2019-20; 85 in 2020-21; 149 in 2021-22 and 231 in 2022-23.
Cities in Delhi-NCR and covered under the National Clean Air Programme have utilised less than 40 per cent of the funds allocated to curb air pollution levels, the Centre informed Parliament on Thursday. According to data presented by Union Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Kumar Choubey, the central government released Rs 428.61 crore to Delhi, Noida, Alwar, Meerut, Faridabad and Ghaziabad between 2019-20 and 2023-24. Of this, only Rs 170.58 crore (around 40 per cent) has been utilised. Delhi received Rs 38.22 crore but utilised only Rs 10.77 crore. Similarly, Noida utilised only Rs 0.95 crore of the Rs 26.42 crore allocated to it under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Alwar utilised a meagre Rs 0.04 crore from its allocation of Rs 15 crore. Meerut and Ghaziabad, receiving funds under the 15th Finance Air Quality Performance Grant, utilised Rs 81.93 crore and Rs 76.89 crore from their allocations of Rs 139.19 crore and Rs 136.25 crore, respectively. The NCAP, laun
Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued 20 notices to IAS coaching institutes across the country for misleading advertisements and imposed penalties on eight such institutes, said Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, in his written reply in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.The Minister said that the Department of Consumer Affairs is continuously working for consumer protection and empowerment of consumers through the enactment of progressive legislation. With a view to modernising the framework governing consumer protection in the new era of globalization, technologies, e-commerce markets etc Consumer Protection Act, of 1986 was repealed and the Consumer Protection Act of 2019 was enacted.Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, misleading advertisement in relation to any product or service is defined as an advertisement, that-- (i) falsely describes such product or service; or (ii) gives a false guarantee to,