The majority of Americans (58 percent) think that protecting the environment improves economic growth and creates new jobs. The results are from a recently released poll by Yale University and George Mason University's climate change communication program. Only 17 percent of the poll's respondents think that environmental protection hurts the economy and job growth, and 25 percent think there is no effect.

In an interaction with BW’s Rajeev Dubey, Professor S. Mahendra Dev argues why our inclusive growth is far from ‘inclusive’

Both UPA I and UPA II have had identical social objectives: enormously expensive subsidy-laden programmes that began with job guarantee through MGNREGA and have since expanded to free education, food security and now universal healthcare.

Three big-ticket railway projects, whose combined cost is more than Rs 5,000 crore, have hit a logjam as those from whom Indian Railways had acquired land for these projects are now demanding railway jobs in return, citing a policy rolled out by former railway minister Mamata Banerjee. Coach factories in Rae Bareli in UP and Marhaura in Bihar and a wheel factory in Bihar’s Chapra are stuck even though Mamata’s novel policy is applicable only to land acquisitions that took place since 2010, long after after these projects were approved.

Pakistan is among the most vulnerable countries facing climate-related risks revealed an Asia-Pacific Human Development report launched here on Wednesday.

The report further suggested the Asia-Pacific region must continue to grow economically to lift millions out of poverty but it must also respond to changes in climate to survive.

“Growing first and cleaning up later is no longer an option”, advised the report titled ‘One Planet to Share: Sustaining Human
Progress in a Changing Climate.’

India is projected to see a faster growth of 7.5 per cent this fiscal on the back of higher savings and investment rates, even as most of the Asia-Pacific economies are likely to expand at a slower pace, says a UN report.

“The Indian economy’s strong fundamentals, namely high saving and investment rates and rapidly expanding labour force and middle class will ensure a steady economic performance...

We expect it to expand by about 7.5 per cent in 2012-13,” UNESCAP Chief Economist Mr Nagesh Kumar said.

Process on to give jobs to members of displaced families
Jammu: After a struggle of nearly two decades, there is some good news for the displaced families of Ranjit Sagar Dam which had been left out from the employment package offered by the dam authorities, which have now initiated the process to fulfil their commitment of providing jobs to them.

Cong questions 15-year tax holiday to refinery; villagers who gave land still waiting for job. Even as steel tycoon Lakshmi N Mittal has hinted that he may go for an initial public offering (IPO) of the just commissioned Guru Gobind Singh Oil Refinery at Bathinda, for expansion to raise capacity, the Punjab government may not get any direct benefit from the Rs 21,500 crore unit to which it has given a tax holiday of 15 years.