Science
Down To Earth
CHASING CORAL
With the world having lost 14 per cent of its coral reefs in just one decade, a marine devastation seems imminent. But there may be some hope yet
4 min |
October 16, 2021
Down To Earth
Come September
The abnormally high rainfall in the final month of the rainy season has added to India's monsoon agony
3 min |
October 16, 2021
Down To Earth
BEYOND 100 DAYS
The national rural employment guarantee programme financially empowers village panchayats, thus making them an effective self-governing system
3 min |
October 16, 2021
Down To Earth
Dry as dust
has increased by 22 times the size of Delhi in the past 15 years. Rainfed farmlands and forests form a major chunk of this wasteland
3 min |
September 16, 2021
Down To Earth
Enigmatically dry
Drought haunts India as a normal monsoon season nears end
10 min |
September 16, 2021
Down To Earth
Stream of conflict
Krishna river dispute shows why there is an urgent need to rethink the way inter-state rivers are managed and governed
4 min |
September 16, 2021
Down To Earth
A STITCH IN TIME
The recovery of the ozone layer has helped the world fight climate change
3 min |
September 16, 2021
Down To Earth
In the blue
After spending decades controlling atmospheric emission of mercury, the world wakes up to the possibility that rivers are a major source of the toxic metal in the oceans
2 min |
September 16, 2021
Down To Earth
Devil's in the Detail
Seven years, four committees and two draft regulations later, India still does not have a clear labelling system to warn consumers about harmful levels of fat, salt and sugar hiding in processed foods. These ingredients are responsible for the growing burden of obesity and noncommunicable diseases. But a powerful industry and a hesitant food regulator are busy derailing all efforts.
10+ min |
September 16, 2021
Down To Earth
Virtual healers
A mobile application provides people in rural areas of Bihar easy access to healthcare facilities
2 min |
September 16, 2021
Down To Earth
Grotesque Profits In The Time Of COVID
Vaccine equity goes for a toss as US recommends booster shots, while Pfizer and Moderna revenues soar by billions of dollars
5 min |
September 01, 2021
Down To Earth
Singular hype
While the Centre trumpets its latest ban to eliminate single-use plastics, the fine print of the new rules tells otherwise
6 min |
September 01, 2021
Down To Earth
PULSE PUZZLE
The government takes the usual market-regulatory steps every time there is a surge in prices of pulses—the primary source of protein for a majority of Indians. But shortfall in domestic production, the main reason behind the price rise, remains unaddressed. An analysis by VIVEK MISHRA, SHAGUN KAPIL, RAJU SAJWAN, ANIL ASHWANI SHARMA and BHAGIRATH
10+ min |
September 01, 2021
Down To Earth
PATIYA'S STARVELINGS
It is important to probe further when an effective system fails to rescue the malnourished children in a village
5 min |
September 01, 2021
Down To Earth
Long road home
Uttarakhand is increasingly declaring its villages disasterprone. While many are fighting relocation, those who shift face conflicts with host villages over resources like water and grazing land. Is relocation the right way to mitigate disasters that are striking the Himalayan state with increasing ferocity?
7 min |
September 01, 2021
Down To Earth
In quest of foragers
GORDON RAMSAY GOES TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH TO EXPLORE HIDDEN FOOD TREASURES, THEIR BOLD FLAVOURS AND THE ARDENT KEEPERS
4 min |
September 01, 2021
Down To Earth
Bridge classes
More than 5,000 volunteers in villages of Odisha ensure that the lack of digital access does not hinder children's education amid the pandemic
2 min |
September 01, 2021
Down To Earth
Deal With Delta
The global dominance of the Delta variant shows that mutations have kept SARS-CoV-2 ahead of the game
4 min |
August 01, 2021
Down To Earth
PANDEMIC OF STEROIDS
Steroids are essential in fighting infectious diseases. Used recklessly, they can cause life-threatening side effects like mucormycosis, as was witnessed in the aftermath of the pandemic’s second wave. COVID-19 is a new disease, and its treatments and dosages are constantly evolving. India will find it difficult to contain the disease unless the government can ensure timely dissemination and implementation of treatment protocols. A report by BANJOT KAUR
10+ min |
August 01, 2021
Down To Earth
FADING COLOUR
Establish farmer producer organisations to ensure that growers of the intensely flavourful golden Kandhamal turmeric do not turn away from it
3 min |
August 01, 2021
Down To Earth
OUT IN THE OPEN
Contrary to the government's claim of India being open defecation free, 15 per cent of Indians still go out to relieve themselves, says a WHO-UNICEF report
4 min |
August 01, 2021
Down To Earth
ROLE OF A LIFETIME
Dilip Kumar’s career coincided with a newly Independent India marred by many self-inflicted tragedies, and the roles he played resonated with a large section of people, cutting across classes
5 min |
August 01, 2021
Down To Earth
ON THIN AIR
Agriculture students demonstrate how aeroponics, once a niche and costly cultivation method, can help urban households
4 min |
August 01, 2021
Down To Earth
SHEAR DESPERATION
India's once thriving wool economy now depends on imports to sustain demand. Will the recent import of Australian Merino sheep for crossbreeding be enough to revive the sector?
7 min |
August 01, 2021
Down To Earth
Covaxin Data Silent On Protocol Breach
INDIA-MADE Covaxin shows 77.8 per cent effectiveness in symptomatic infections of sars-cov-2, as per the phase-3 clinical trial data released by the vaccine's manufacturer, Bharat Biotech. The preprint paper, uploaded to the online archive and distribution server medRxiv on July 2, says Covaxin has an efficacy of 93.4 per cent against severe covid-19 infections and 65.2 per cent against the Delta variant.
1 min |
July 16, 2021
Down To Earth
SEED EXTRAORDINAIRE
SABJA ARE RICH IN FIBRE AND LEND THEMSELVES TO A VARIETY OF RECIPES
3 min |
July 16, 2021
Down To Earth
TRIPS waiver caught in WTO labyrinth
There is little change in the position of countries opposing the waiver, and the India-South Africa proposal is being made to go through the hoops at WTO
4 min |
July 16, 2021
Down To Earth
WEIGHT OF THE DEAD
TURNING THE GANGA INTO A GRAVEYARD FOR COVID-19 VICTIMS WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO ITS AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM
3 min |
July 16, 2021
Down To Earth
FAMILIAL TIES
A few recently discovered early human fossils further complicate our evolutionary timeline
5 min |
July 16, 2021
Down To Earth
THE HEAT IS ON
The world is witnessing intense heatwaves on a global scale. Even cooler countries have reported heatrelated deaths and wildfires by the hundreds, and temperatures have broken all records. Scientists suspect the jet streams that control day-to-day weather have gone astray. An analysis by Down To Earth
10+ min |