Science
Down To Earth
Casted Out
Discrimination against the Dalits is still pervasive in our society, and this is seriously marring the potential of the Mid Day Meal Scheme
5 min |
June 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Shocking Waste
India enacted a law to manage e-waste in 2016, but lack of data and a monitoring mechanism have rendered it toothless
4 min |
June 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Made Of Sand
India is importing river sand to satiate the growing demand of its construction industry and to keep soaring sand prices in check. But imports alone will not suffice without effective implementation of regulations and promotion of alternative construction materials. An analysis
10+ min |
June 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Spice Route
Found in high altitude forests, lichens are an important ingredient of almost all spice mixes of India
3 min |
June 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Evergreening Rampant In India
India's patent office has ignored the strict safeguards against evergreening and allowed a flood of secondary drug patents
3 min |
June 16, 2018
Down To Earth
For The Sake Of Oaks
Uttarakhand should use inflammable chirpines to generate power. This would contain forest fires that are threatening native oak trees and provide employment
4 min |
April 16, 2018
Down To Earth
The Chinese Patent Juggernaut
China has toppled Japan from No 2 spot and is set to become the leader in global patent filings, specially in future technologies
3 min |
April 16, 2018
Down To Earth
The Malthusian Muddle
In these times of climate change, the world needs fresh ideas to get out of the logjam over whether population is a curse or a resource
5 min |
April 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Tribunal On A Tightrope
Poor implementation of polluter pays principle and conflicts with the environment ministry risks the National Green Tribunal's effectiveness.
10+ min |
April 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Route To Resilience
A new study suggests that herbivores can protect ecosystems from climate change.
4 min |
February 01, 2018
Down To Earth
Cameroon Turns Hazard Into Convenience
Cameroon is fighting against floods by recycling plastic waste into building blocks.
4 min |
February 01, 2018
Down To Earth
Unmasking The Budget
The last full budget presented by Arun Jaitley was overwhelmingly focused on pro-people initiatives and the finance minister spent the initial 20 minutes of his speech on agriculture. The second most important part of his speech was public health. Jaitley was also eager to underline the achievements of his government ahead of next year's general elections and highlighted programmes like Ujjwala Yojana, Saubhagya Yojana, implementation of GST and improved ranking in ease of doing business. However, the government neglected a number of issues like climate change and its flagship programme Swachh Bharat Mission.
4 min |
February 16, 2018
Down To Earth
It's A Sham
People's participation in formulation of India's annual budget is virtually negligible.
4 min |
February 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Stimulus That Can Spoil The Milk Sector
Karnataka government's financial stimulus to its dairy cooperative is benefitting 2.5 million farmers, but can destabilise the national market.
4 min |
February 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Aid The Trade
While it will not be in anyone's interest to cut off foreign aid to Africa, it is clear that countries that receive such aid must show more responsibility.
4 min |
February 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Resetting The Africa-Europe Relationship
Africa faces a broad range of development challenges and overcoming them will require huge sums of foreign aid and investment. But as Africa develops, its people will also need partners who recognise that there are mutual benefits to engaging with the continent's mobile and highly-educated base of human capital.
3 min |
February 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Superficial Embrace?
Sikkim government legalises the tradition of adopting trees, but remains silent over people's rights over them.
3 min |
February 16, 2018
Down To Earth
A Setback To Struggle For Health Rights
Amit Sengupta's optimism and persistence have inspired generations of public health activists in India and abroad.
2 min |
December 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Brain-Teaser
A device that uses electricity to pass through your brain is believed to cure a range of diseases. But the jury is still out on its safety.
3 min |
December 16, 2018
Down To Earth
The Lament Continues
The Alma-Ata Declaration failed to ensure health for all. Will Astana succeed?
3 min |
November 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Recycling Wheel
How Gujarat succeeded in co-processing plastic waste in cement kilns and promoted a circular economy
4 min |
October 1, 2018
Down To Earth
Install Windmills, But Not At Cost Of Birds
Buoyed up by wind power, Germany has been the frontrunner in the global energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources. Lately, wind power organisations are lobbying to increase their number even faster, particularly in the sensitive North Sea and the Baltic. This has posed a dilemma for conservationists who generally support renewable energy. The windmills, with massive blades, are known to kill birds and bats. KATHRIN AMMERMANN, who heads the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), tells JITENDRA how the government is trying to curb environmental impact of clean energy.
3 min |
October 1, 2018
Down To Earth
US Trading On Thin Ice
As Trump escalates the trade war with China, the key question is what constitutes theft of intellectual property
2 min |
October 1, 2018
Down To Earth
More Out Than In
Central government's maternity benefit scheme excludes more women than it covers
5 min |
October 1, 2018
Down To Earth
Sealed With Trouble
Faulty policies have allowed industries to use multilayered plastic packages without the responsibility of retrieving them
3 min |
October 1, 2018
Down To Earth
Loo And Behold, But Beware
The countdown to meet the target of an open defecation free India has begun. Though it seemed like we were once again going to miss another development goal, we will achieve the target within the next 25 weeks, much before the deadline of October 2019. India's first-ever experience when all of us will have a toilet of our own is worth a grand applause. However, we have just crossed the first hurdlethe easiest milestone of constructing toilets. SUSMITA SENGUPTA and RASHMI VERMA take a hard look at the challenges that need to be addressed
10+ min |
October 1, 2018
Down To Earth
A Dig At The Poor
District Mineral Foundations were set up to improve the lives of people affected by mining. But maladministration is defeating its raison d'etre.
2 min |
August 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Of Funds And Fallacy
Poor implementation of the District Mineral Foundation has excluded some of the worst mining-affected people, whom it was supposed to benefit.
6 min |
August 16, 2018
Down To Earth
Will Africa Meet Its Sanitation Target?
More than 600 million Africans still lack access to safe sanitation. This will ultimately determine the well-being of the continent.
3 min |
August 16, 2018
Down To Earth
The Next Ten To Go Dry
Bengaluru, Beijing, Mexico City and Istanbul are some of the cities that are headed towards Day Zero.
9 min |