Down To Earth
'A separate Local Government Service Commission can be set up to recruit panchayat employees'
The 73rd Amendment to the Constitution of India calls upon states to enact laws that enable panchayats to function as local governments. To assess the extent of this devolution of power, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj has studied and ranked the states since 2004.
4 min |
October 01, 2025
Down To Earth
GLOBAL SOUTH REIMAGINED
In an increasingly fractured world marked by unilateralism and weakened climate cooperation, civil society must elevate Global South cohesion as a top climate agenda
4 min |
October 01, 2025
Down To Earth
The catalyst within
HORMONES NOT ONLY SHAPE ONE'S HEALTH, BUT HAVE LIKELY IMPACTED GLOBAL EVENTS
4 min |
October 01, 2025
MACHINERY LUBRICATION INDIA
SIMPLE HABITS TO KEEP YOUR CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM HEALTHY
Every beat of your heart is a reminder that life is moving forward. With World Heart Day around the corner, I felt it was the perfect time to talk about the small yet powerful choices we can make to protect our most vital organ. Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death globally, responsible for nearly one-third of all deaths worldwide, according to the WHO. These numbers are alarming, and they remind us that heart health is not something to take for granted.
2 min |
September – October 2025
MACHINERY LUBRICATION INDIA
LUBRICATION: THE ENGINEERING BACKBONE OF INDUSTRIAL PERFORMANCE
In advanced industrial systems, the choice and application of specialty lubricants are as critical as the mechanical design itself.
2 min |
September – October 2025
MACHINERY LUBRICATION INDIA
THE HAZY SAMPLE: A LAB ERROR THAT SHOOK A LUBE OIL BLENDING PLANT
Narrative of the Incident - One small dash in an additive code was all it took to derail a carefully planned test.
2 min |
September – October 2025
MACHINERY LUBRICATION INDIA
GULF OIL LUBRICANTS PLANS 70% CAPACITY EXPANSION TO 250 MILLION LITRES
Gulf Oil Lubricants India plans to increase its production capacity by 70% to 250 million litres within the next 18 months. Currently, the company operates at 95% utilization across its two plants, producing 152 million litres annually. Expansion will begin at the Chennai plant, while land acquisition has been completed at the Silvassa facility.
1 min |
September – October 2025
MACHINERY LUBRICATION INDIA
PERFORMING A FAILURE SCENE INVESTIGATION
As head of Noria's failure investigation group, I've led many interesting studies in search of failure root causes and remedies.
4 min |
September – October 2025
MACHINERY LUBRICATION INDIA
GREASE INCOMPATIBILITY: HOW TO AVOID DISASTER AND PROTECT EQUIPMENT HEALTH
For the last six years, I have traveled the world performing failure investigations and developing lubrication programs for facilities in every industry.
7 min |
September – October 2025
MACHINERY LUBRICATION INDIA
OH, SH#T! A LUBE TECH'S LESSONS LEARNED
The term “OH, SH#T” (or OS! as I'll refer to it from now on) usually means something bad has happened, but this isn't always true. Sometimes, it can come from something great happening, like finding a new, faster, easier, or more efficient way of performing a lubrication task.
5 min |
September – October 2025
MACHINERY LUBRICATION INDIA
CASE STUDY: WOODGRAIN SOLIDIFIES RELIABILITY THROUGH NEW LUBRICATION PROGRAM
Downtime reduced by 85% in less than three years
5 min |
September – October 2025
MACHINERY LUBRICATION INDIA
CHAIN LUBRICATION BEST PRACTICES FOR DRIVES AND CONVEYORS
A chain is a series of traveling journal bearings with a means to engage the teeth of a sprocket and transmit force and motion. Because each chain joint is a bearing, proper lubrication is essential to obtain the maximum service life from a chain drive or conveyor.
9 min |
September – October 2025
MACHINERY LUBRICATION INDIA
OIL MANAGEMENT FOR BUSINESS PROFITABILITY
Profit is the only motive of any commercial organization, whether it be a Public Limited Company, a Partnership Company, or a Proprietorship Company. Profit is the result of producing an item or offering any service at the lowest cost and realizing the best sales price, as the market decides the usual price and is not in the hands of the company. Profit is the function of demand and supply. If a company has to exist, then it has to follow the market and only focus on reducing costs.
10 min |
September – October 2025
MACHINERY LUBRICATION INDIA
TASK-BASED TRAINING | TOP-UPS UTILIZING AN S&R CONTAINER
Traditional methods of refilling lubricants using single-use containers contribute to environmental waste and disposal challenges.
2 min |
September – October 2025
Down To Earth
MELTED LIKE WAX
The Western Himalayas have taken a severe hit this monsoon, as shifting wind patterns fuel extreme weather events across the region.
10+ min |
September 16, 2025
Down To Earth
CLOUDS OF CRISIS
The year 2025 will be remembered as one in which normal rainfall masks an abnormal reality of destruction and weather extremes.
5 min |
September 16, 2025
Down To Earth
PLAN OR PERISH
Rivers that water Punjab were already flowing at capacity due to heavy rain in upstream states, when a record August monsoon made them flood simultaneously. What fuelled the deluge?
10+ min |
September 16, 2025
Down To Earth
THIS CRISIS IS OF OUR MAKING
We are living through catastrophic times that will bring even mighty mountains to their knees
4 min |
September 16, 2025
Down To Earth
Himalaya Wellness Committed to Conserving Biodiversity
Biodiversity is crucial for the sustenance and balance of life.
1 min |
September 16, 2025
Down To Earth
POD TO PLATE
Lotus seeds are not only tasty, but also a healthy and versatile ingredient to add to diet
3 min |
September 01, 2025
Down To Earth
Promise in pieces
Global Talks collapse as consensus rule blocks progress on ending plastic pollution
4 min |
September 01, 2025
Down To Earth
Paddy overload
Even as it records a rise in paddy acreage, Telangana enhances its push for fine-grained varieties of the crop, raising concerns
3 min |
September 01, 2025
Down To Earth
Disaster zone
With an extreme weather event on almost every day this year, the Himalayas show the cost of ignoring science and warnings
5 min |
September 01, 2025
Down To Earth
Dogged disruption
Free-ranging dogs have risen as predators due to the decline in vulture numbers in India. Now, these canines threaten other animals and humans with feral behaviour, disease transmission
5 min |
September 01, 2025
Down To Earth
Power paradox
In drought-prone districts of Karnataka, solar parks promise prosperity but deliver displacement, exposing the fault lines of India's renewable energy transition
5 min |
September 01, 2025
Down To Earth
Micro menace
As nations negotiate a global treaty to regulate plastics, scientists have released a damning report highlighting the health impacts on humans
5 min |
August 16, 2025
Down To Earth
'Window to avoid worst climate scenarios is rapidly shutting'
In 2023, scientists for the first time quantified nine planetary boundaries—aspects that affect the functioning of Earth systems, including climate change, ocean acidification and land-system change—and concluded that six of them have already been transgressed. This assessment is based on a framework put forth in 2009 by a team led by JOHAN ROCKSTRÖM, now director at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and professor of earth system science at the University of Potsdam, Germany. All the boundaries are under strain due to global warming, bringing us closer to irreversible climate tipping points, Rockström tells SHAGUN. Excerpts:
4 min |
August 16, 2025
Down To Earth
Rain check revolution
A citizen science initiative collects localised precipitation data in and around Pune to help people gain insights on rainfall patterns
2 min |
August 16, 2025
Down To Earth
Spirit of the soil
MITTI: EK NAYI PEHCHAAN BRINGS FARMER ISSUES TO THE FORE THROUGH THE EYES OF A YOUNG PROTAGONIST WHO RETURNS TO HIS ROOTS
3 min |
August 16, 2025
Down To Earth
FORGED CONSENSUS
State governments offering financial incentives to make panchayats forego voting and elect candidates by consensus could have unfavourable consequences for India's local self-governance.
10+ min |