BITS INDIA

The Union government on June 19 announced a decision to bar states from bidding for federally-held wheat in auctions and rice stocks in open market sales scheduled for the month as a bid to control inflation. Earlier on June 13,states were also barred from buying from federal stocks of grains held by the Food Corporation of India.The Centre claimed it aims to maintain stocks for market intervention,however,states like Karnataka said the ban would impact the states' ability to distribute food grains to the poor.

The High Court of Delhi sought the Centre's response in a case challenging a ban on manufacture, distribution and use of 14 fixed dose combination drugs. The Centre banned the drugs on June 2 based on a parliamentary committee's reports stating they posed a "risk" to people.But the petitioner,a drug maker, claimed this justification did not specify the reasons,extent and the nature of the risk.

Tamil Nadu on June 13 released Chennai’s first Climate Action Plan as a roadmap for the city to become carbon neutral by 2050,two decades before India’s target of 2070.The plan focuses on electricity,building energy,sustainable transport,solid waste management,urban flooding and water scarcity,vulnerable populations and health.

Exotic birds at Chhattisgarh's Jagdalpur Bird Park died after failing to adapt to the climatic conditions,officials confirmed on June 17. While Jagdalpur's chief conservator of forests did not provide the number or species of birds that died,he said there were arrangements to ensure the well-being of all the in the enclosures.