Science
Down To Earth
THINK TWICE BEFORE FELLING SAL TREES
Many trees considered to be affected by sal borer in the 1990s are still alive today
1 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
EDGE OF SURVIVAL
Caste divides deny marginalised communities land, resources and essential aid, leaving them more vulnerable to climate disasters
6 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
A WISH LIST?
Union Budget for 2026-27 conveys the impression of a roll-call of intentions and ambitious proposals, with little detail on their formulation
6 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
Break down the gender wall
THE RULING National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has been heavily invested in the goal to make India a developed economy by 2047.
2 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
MENSTRUAL HEALTH, NOW A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT
In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court has recognised menstrual health and hygiene as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which guarantees the right to life and dignity.
8 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
Of devolution and new disasters
The 16th Finance Commission pushes for changes in view of new fiscal and climatic conditions
10+ min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
Rising risks of plastics
NEGATIVE IMPACTS on human health due to emissions linked to the plastic lifecycle could double by 2040, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health in January.
1 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
GAP BETWEEN EPIDEMICS NARROWING
A watershed-based and landscape-level approach is needed to address forest degradation
2 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
WAITING TO STRIKE
Sal heartwood borer is considered the biggest threat to forestry in India, especially to the sal tree, where it lives and breeds.
10+ min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
A SPRING DELIGHT
Mustard flowers are not meant only for the eyes. Invite them to your plate once in a while
3 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
Cold January for West
ON JANUARY 23-27, parts of the Western Hemisphere—Colombia, Mexico, US and Canada—were hit by a winter storm bringing a mix of rain, sleet, freezing rain and snow across the region.
1 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
Is India forever a generics-only player?
While India is content to be a global generics pharmacy, China has become a powerhouse of new drug development
4 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
AN OUTBREAK IS FEARED IN 2026-27
Since sal borer is nocturnal, it gathers near lights around houses. This initial sign was not visible five years ago, but is being seen now
1 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
Shift in trade winds
What the EU-India free trade agreement offers to reinforce trust in rules-based global order
8 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
NO EPIDEMIC YET, BUT NEED TO BE VIGILANT
A sal borer epidemic can be controlled if action is taken in time
1 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
Against the clock
Scientists are accelerating crop breeding to keep up with a changing climate
4 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
Queries on ashwagandha
The article “Sip and unwind” (1-15 October, 2025) highlights the popularity of Withania somnifera (ashwagandha) and its use in contemporary wellness practices.
2 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
Mining impunity
A fatal blast in Meghalaya highlights the deep failure to curb rat-hole mining despite court orders and enforcement measures
4 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
Games of change
In Odisha's Sundargarh district, tribal women use games to learn their rights, and confront harassment
2 min |
February 16, 2026
Down To Earth
Popular distrust
THE WORLD seems to be going through a period of stasis despite facing an unfathomable polycrisis.
2 min |
February 01, 2026
Down To Earth
CONSERVE OR PERISH
Periyar Tiger Reserve has rewritten Indian conservation by turning poachers into protectors and conflict into coexistence
5 min |
February 01, 2026
Down To Earth
'Rivers need to run free'
From Tibet to West Bengal, the Brahmaputra is the pulse of communities and ecosystems along its course. But what are the risks the river faces through human interventions, particularly dams, discusses journalist, author and filmmaker SANJOY HAZARIKA in his new book, River Traveller.
4 min |
February 01, 2026
Down To Earth
India is facing up to its innovation lag
There are signs now that India is acknowledging the superior strides made by China in a frontier technology like Al
4 min |
February 01, 2026
Down To Earth
Competing concerns
What are the repercussions of the EU-Mercosur pact that have made European farmers protest against the free trade agreement?
4 min |
February 01, 2026
Down To Earth
From fryer to flight
Sustainable fuel made from used cooking oil can play a pivotal role in helping India achieve its aviation emission reduction goals. Measures to collect this oil must be revamped
4 min |
February 01, 2026
Down To Earth
ACCESS OPEN
An amendment to India's nodal forest conservation law opens up forests across India to commercial exploitation by the paper industry
6 min |
February 01, 2026
Down To Earth
DRINK FROM TAP CAN BE A REALITY
As cities across India struggle to supply safe piped water, Odisha offers a success story
2 min |
February 01, 2026
Down To Earth
GREAT DRYING
The Earth is hotter than at any point in the past 100,000 years, with 2023-25 becoming the warmest three-year period on record and also breaching the 1.5°C threshold for the first time. One fallout is dwindling freshwater.
10+ min |
February 01, 2026
Down To Earth
Green redemption
Restoration of grasslands of Kerala's Pampadum Shola National Park, once dominated by invasive Australian wattles, see a return of streams and native species
1 min |
February 01, 2026
Down To Earth
Valuable lessons from two tree champions
Karnataka-based environmentalist Saalumarada Thimmakka, who died in November 2025, leaves behind several thousand trees that she had planted sheerly out of love, without expecting any returns.
2 min |