Scroll : Goa mining judgement is a first

A beautiful, albeit dated, summary by Mridula Chari of the unprecedented nature of the Goa mining judgement for we the people, our children, and our future generations. “Observing that natural resources belonged to the state, which is a trustee of its citizens, the court ordered that a part of the profits from the sale of iron ore be set aside for a permanent …

Who owns title to minerals in India?

Across the world, the sovereign / federal / union government usually owns title to all minerals. The big exception is the USA where land owners also own the minerals beneath the earth. Even there, the federal government owns 1/3rd of the land. For India though, it is a simple question with a complex answer. Under Article 297 of our Constitution, offshore minerals are …

P2P Foundation blogs on the Goenchi Mati campaign

David Bollier, author, activist, blogger and consultant on the commons, calls the Supreme Court order in the Goa mining case setting up the Permanent Fund as a bold precedent, “the first time that a court anywhere had ordered such a remedy, and it resulted in the first permanent fund in India.” Something Goa should be proud of!