Mined To Destruction

Sand is the second most exploited resource after water and the most mined material globally, as per the UN Environment Programme. Its extraction from riverbeds is often done without regard to the adverse impact on natural river ecology. In India, sand mining grew as a large and, in many cases, illegal industry after the rapid urbanisation brought on by the economic liberalisation in the 1990s

Revival of a tradition

Rajasthan communities restore pastureland to ease impacts of fodder crisis in livestock farming

Fatal coincidence

Forest fire season in Uttarakhand coincides with flowering and breeding months of several vulnerable species, many of them native to Himalayas

A brave, flimsy take

BHEED IS A LOUD SOCIAL COMMENTARY THAT FALLS FLAT DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF TOO MANY HALF-COOKED STORIES AND CHARACTERS SEQUENCED INTO A LINEAR PLOT

PERENNIAL GUAVA

Used in street food, chutneys and perfumes, the climate-resistant fruit is a clear option for farmers

Bedaquiline patent win is a half victory

India's ability to eliminate its huge TB burden by 2025 will be a test of both its patent laws and healthcare policy

HEAVY SWAY

India developed the concept of farmer producer company (FPC) two decades ago to help small farmers own and run businesses and gain standing in the market by negotiating collectively. In 2019, the government set a target of creating 10,000 FPCs by 2024. It also introduced the concept of cluster-based business organisation (CBBO) to provide hand-holding support to farmers in forming FPCs. The move, however, has led to creation of FPCs that are controlled by the bigger companies that operate as CBBOs

Fake determinants

A series of research papers and an open letter by 200 global figures hold industries accountable for the growing publichealth problems, call for urgent actions

Displaced by settlers

Tribal communities in Kerala's Attappady block are being alienated from their land despite laws in place to protect their rights

Familiar discourse

The world met to discuss the burgeoning water crisis after nearly half a century; but commitments on action were largely a reiteration of ongoing work

Disturbed frontier

Restoration of degraded forests is the only way to curb monkey menace in Karnataka and to tackle the outbreaks of monkey fever in humans

A DEBT TO OFFSET

Offering debt relief in lieu of climate action could allow rich countries to pay for their acts of historical injustice, while helping the poor ones manage mounting public borrowings and climate change challenges

Fading history of Novartis v Union of India

The 2013 landmark Supreme Court judgement offers critical lessons on the intent behind crucial aspects of India's key patent law

PHARMA DISRUPTOR

Pharma companies today deploy artificial intelligence with a potential to reduce the drug development cycle by half. But doubts remain about reliability of the technology

DEEP UNKNOWN

The Earth's core works as an engine to generate heat for natural processes and produce the planet's magnetism. But as this iron-rich layer gradually solidifies into a ball, what will happen to the planet's habitability? As the world drills into and analyses the Earth's interiors, certain clues about its evolution and state emerge.

Sewage overload

Ganga remains polluted despite cleanliness drives

GRAIN SIZE: SEED TROUBLE

An increase in number of days with extreme temperatures or rain has caused a decline in quality and size of seeds across India

ROUGH WATERS AHEAD

Rapid intensification and unpredictable movement of tropical cyclones in recent years may form a template for future storm systems

'EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE'

This is the strategy required to fight climate change, said UN chief António Guterres while releasing IPCC's 'Synthesis Report' on March 20. Guterres describes the report as a \"guide to diffuse the climate bomb\". But the clock is ticking, with some climate impacts nearing irreversibility. Here's a look at a few concerns:

AGRARIAN REVOLUTIONARY

A tireless advocate for empowerment of rural communities, PV Satheesh will remain an inspiration

Carbon credit scheme triggers human crisis

THE NORTHERN Kenya Grassland Carbon Project, the world’s largest and first carbon credit programme using livestock grazing practices, might be doing more harm than good.

Banking on tradition

Odisha's Kondh tribe introduces a seed festival and bank to facilitate use of indigenous varieties and traditional farming to overcome crop loss

Climate's Clear Connect

Malawi is in the throes of its worst-ever cholera outbreak right after three cyclonic events hit the African country in 2022. Nigeria faces the same scourge after its heaviest floods in a decade last year. Kenya's most severe drought in four decades has also been followed by a cholera outbreak. Africa offers numerous cases that show how climate events trigger and exacerbate diseases.

Science stagnated

A megafauna bias in India's carnivore research is hampering the country's conservations efforts

Foisting a GI tag on Mandu's baobab tree

Commerce ministry's drive to push up the Geographical Indications tally is a lazy exercise that does not benefit local communities

Loss of a legacy

Extreme weather events, rising input costs make betel leaf cultivation unviable in Mahoba, nearly destroying the district's unique Desawari variety that received Geographical Indications tag in 2021

Choppy waters

Demand for freshwater is fast exceeding supply. Can the UN water conference, being held almost after 50 years, ensure water security in a fragmented and warming world?

Traditionally yours

Millets are a good source of nutrients, but their hybrid varieties may not be as potent as the traditional ones

DISTURBED

After an unusually dry and hot winter season, India faces an imminent low yield of rabi crops. The reason for this year's abnormal winter, the third in a row, lies in the changing character of the Western Disturbances. The frequency and intensity of the storm systems, which bring winter rains to the northern plains and snowfall in the Himalayas, are decreasing

World Commits To Protect 30% Of Land And Seas By 2030

The world has taken first step to meet the stiff target of bringing 30 per cent of its land, inland and marine areas under protection by 2030