Science
Down To Earth
Worshipped And Abandoned
The circular economy of cattle has been ruptured. Restrictions on cattle trade are forcing cattle rearers to abandon the cows, and therefore, their livelihood. Jitendra and photographer Adithyan P C travel across the cow belt in the country and neighbouring Nepal to understand how it has hit the poorest
10+ min |
January 16, 2019
Down To Earth
No Worries? Ask Simba
A furore over Disney's trademark on the Swahili phrase Hakuna Matata heats up the cultural appropriation debate
2 min |
January 16, 2019
Down To Earth
Unfair Trade Laws Can Put A Spanner In Our Quest For A Circular Economy
USED Recycle and reuse of products make great economic and environmental sense. But will circular economy benefit the world at a time when economic giants like the US are using trade sanctions to bully Rwanda, which has banned used clothing? India too is at the risk of becoming the rich world's dumpyard
8 min |
June 16, 2019
Down To Earth
Africa's Historic Pivot
IF RWANDA IS WILLING TO RISK PREFERENTIAL ACCESS TO THE US MARKET IN ORDER TO DEVELOP ITS DOMESTIC GARMENT INDUSTRY, THEN IT MUST BE CONFIDENT THAT IT WILL FIND ALTERNATIVE MARKETS FOR ITS EXPORTS
4 min |
June 16, 2019
Down To Earth
Goa's Summer Date
THE EXOTIC FLOWER OF THE ELEPHANT FOOT YAM IS EATEN WIDELY IN THE RURAL PARTS OF THE STATE FOR A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE ADVENT OF MONSOON
3 min |
June 16, 2019
Down To Earth
Renaming Renewables
Will a new categorisation of hydropower plants trigger revival of the sector?
5 min |
June 16, 2019
Down To Earth
Untapped Resource
CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN INDIA HAS GROWN IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT THE POTENTIAL OF THE SECTOR REMAINS UNREALISED
6 min |
June 16, 2019
Down To Earth
Wrong Track
In the wake of IMD's warning over Titli, Odisha mobilised resources to protect coastal districts. But the cyclonic storm took an unusual turn
3 min |
November 01, 2018
Down To Earth
Aarey's Chipko Moment
The plan to clear Mumbai's last green cover is facing stiff resistance from citizens and non-profits
3 min |
November 01, 2018
Down To Earth
Egg Of The Matter
Entepreneurs are experimenting with hen feed to produce premium eggs that appeal to fitness freaks
4 min |
November 01, 2018
Down To Earth
Pride Goes Before A Fall
Could Gujarat's forest officials have inadvertently triggered the death of 23 lions in Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary? ISHAN KUKRETI in Gujarat and RAJAT GHAI in Delhi investigate
10+ min |
November 01, 2018
Down To Earth
The Others Too
The MeToo campaign comes at a time when women are being courted for electoral gains. Is it good or bad?
2 min |
November 01, 2018
Down To Earth
Goa's Shadow Dancer
Dragonflies tell us about the health of our wetlands and ecology. Hence the discovery of a new species is heartening news
5 min |
November 01, 2018
Down To Earth
Highway Killer
Leopards in the Rajaji National Park have killed over a dozen people in the past year. Why is the big cat choosing humans over its natural prey?
4 min |
July 1, 2017
Down To Earth
Why Farmers Now Dread A Normal Monsoon
No major agrarian reform has happened in the 50 years since the Green Revolution. A normal monsoon cannot be assumed as the only incentive for farmers to sustain productivity. It's time India offered its food producers a new deal
5 min |
July 1, 2017
Down To Earth
Bumper Burden
Madhya Pradesh witnesses farmer unrest like never before despite a bumper harvest
3 min |
July 1, 2017
Down To Earth
Harvest Of Losses
Will the loan waiver announced by the Maharashtra government help alleviate farmers' plight?
6 min |
July 1, 2017
Down To Earth
Sorrows Of A Bumper Yield
The government must assure farmers that they will not bear the cost of keeping inflation low
2 min |
July 1, 2017
Down To Earth
₹1,402,680,000,000
This is India's agrarian import bill for 2015-16. More than three times of India's annual agriculture budget, this money could have been transferred to Indian farmers who reaped a bumper harvest of crops that we import now
6 min |
July 1, 2017
Down To Earth
The Minuscule System Of Pricing
First, a farmer must sell the produce at a price wrongly discounted by unscientific calculation. Second, an unholy nexus of many players pushes the price down. Result: agriculture remains a loss-making venture and the debt trail leads to fatal consequences
7 min |
July 1, 2017
Down To Earth
Pick The No Waste Option
The Kerala government popularises a model that minimises the creation of waste SONIA HENAM AND SWATI SINGH SAMBYAL thiruvananthapuram
3 min |
July 1, 2017
Down To Earth
Fruit From Jambudweep
Jamrul, they say, gave India its ancient name of Jambudweep. The fruit was easily available till a few decades ago, but is now a rarity
2 min |
July 1, 2017
Down To Earth
Microbes: Breaking The Mould
Microbes will always triumph over antibiotics. We can only choose the battles that will make a difference
5 min |
September 1, 2017
Down To Earth
Capital Loss
The Land Pool Scheme of the Andhra Pradesh government to acquire land for the new state capital is turning out to be a nightmare for farmers JITENDRA | amaravati
4 min |
September 1, 2017
Down To Earth
Time To Define The New Normal
The monsoon of 2017 has challenged India's conventional and simplistic definition of the complex tropical circulation
3 min |
September 1, 2017
Down To Earth
Dialects Are The Avantgarde Teams Exploring New Semantic Possibilities
Linguist GANESH DEVY has just published a new volume of a unique language survey that is based on geography and people's vernacular claims. He speaks to RAJAT GHAI on the link between languages and ecology
4 min |
September 1, 2017
Down To Earth
Last Shots
The Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee faces extinction as it fights a losing battle against innumerable threats ABHIJIT MOHANTY
4 min |
September 1, 2017
Down To Earth
Chambal Without Ravines
The ravines of Chambal used to provide multiple livelihood options for its poor and marginal farmers. Leveling of land is triggering conflicts and increasing social inequity
4 min |
September 1, 2017
Down To Earth
A Continued Disaster
Political instability and paucity of funds delay Nepal's attempts to spring back from the 2015 earthquakes.
4 min |
February 01, 2018
Down To Earth
Smouldering Threat
Nigeria is losing its tropical forests at an alarming rate to satiate the world's growing appetite for charcoal. Subhojit Goswami finds how the cheap fuel now threatens the country's biodiversity.
4 min |