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https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/no-safe-place-than-jail-chief-justice-on-delhi-journalists-bail-request-1926805  

Journalist-political commentator Abhijit Iyer-Mitra,  was arrested on September 20, 2018 in Delhi, after he posted a video on Twitter of his visit to the famous 13th century Sun temple in Konark. He had allegedly made objectionable remarks about Lord Jagannath and "vulgar sculptures".

The Odisha police told the court that he had "made unpalatable and irresponsible remarks about Konark Sun Temple with an intention to outrage and to hurt religious feelings which may create communal friction."

The journalist was let off on bail by a lower court and asked him to appear before the Odisha police by September 28. However, the journalist didn't join in the investigation alleging threat to life. 

When Mr Iyer-Mitra's lawyer argued that his life was under threat, the Chief Justice said, "If your client is facing threats, there is no better place than jail."

Adaptive governance key to protecting biodiversity and supporting sustainable transformation https://www.downtoearth.org.in/wildlife-biodiversity/ipbestransformative-change-reportadaptive-governance-key-to-protecting-biodiversity-and-supporting-sustainable-transformation.  IPBES report:  Governance shapes how societies manage their natural resources and interact with the environment. Poor governance, which can include corruption, fragmented policies and unequal power, often leads to overuse of resources and increased biodiversity loss.

Marginalised groups, particularly indigenous peoples who are closely linked to their natural surroundings, often find themselves excluded from decision-making, making it harder to conserve the environment effectively, Adaptive governance systems seek to include various types of knowledge, such as indigenous, local, and scientific perspectives. By encouraging teamwork among different stakeholders, these systems can create effective policies that protect biodiversity while ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard, and the benefits are shared fairly.

despite some successes, challenges still exist. Wealthy groups often control decision-making, leading to power imbalances. Corruption slows down progress, and different institutions often do not work well together, making conservation efforts less effective. 

Governance systems that focus on transparency, adaptive monitoring, and ongoing evaluations respond better to new challenges. Adaptive learning allows governments to refine strategies, ensuring resilience and reducing unintended consequences

Environment defenders & civil societies key to halting biodiversity loss but face violence, neglect  https://www.downtoearth.org.in/environment/ipbes-transformative-change-report-environment-defenders-civil-societies-key-to-halting-biodiversity-loss-but-face-violence-neglect  - a Transformative Change report published December 18, 2024 by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).The analysis examined 2,802 social mobilisations from 1992 to 2023, which challenged 46,955 environmental threats over biodiversity loss, soil contamination, climate change, groundwater, surface water and landscape degradation, waste overflow and deforestation. 

While 54 per cent of these actions achieved reforms — such as technical solutions, environmental improvements and compensations — nearly 27 per cent resulted in regressive outcomes, including violence against defenders and underreported and overlooked gender-based violence.

Between 2012 and 2022, over 2,000 environmental defenders, including journalists, were killed for opposing environmentally destructive activities like mining, dam construction and deforestation, the paper said.

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