The job has rarely attracted so much attention, but Ramesh has turned a sleepy and apathetic ministry into a controversial one in recent months.
His pronouncements have stopped projects worth billions of dollars, creating powerful enemies in industry and business. His political colleagues have also turned against him, saying he has rejected proposals that would eradicate poverty.
But Ramesh says he is not against industrial expansion and that he is enforcing laws. "We cannot afford to pollute our way to prosperity," he said in an interview.
In the latest flare-up, the coal ministry sought the government's permission last week to mine 203 coal fields to generate 660 million tons of coal. But Ramesh rejected the plan, declaring the heavily forested areas where the fields are located "no-go" zones. Read the full report here.
Source: by Rama Lakshmi, The Washington Post, New Delhi.
