Science
Down To Earth
Celebrating knowledge
Creating a People’s Biodiversity Register is more than a legal requirement. It is an exercise of empowering communities and spreading their knowledge of biodiversity
4 min |
August 16, 2020
Down To Earth
A SHARP BITE
On July 3, Nagaland chief secretary Temjen Toy tweeted that the state government has decided to ban import and trading of dogs and the sale of dog meat, both cooked and uncooked. In the message he tagged Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Maneka Gandhi, Member of Parliament and founder of non-profit People for Animals. A day later, the government issued a notification, which says violations will attract punishments under sections 428 and 429 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, which deal with “mischief” against animals and the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act, 1960. Though Nagaland does not have a formal dog meat industry, certain Naga tribes consume it for nutrition. The ban might look logical to the outsider, but the Nagas believe it infringes on their cultural freedom and will lead to stigmatisation and further alienation. Small wonder, when ISHAN KUKRETI spoke with several organisations and individuals across Nagaland, he found many opposers but hardly any supporters of the ban
3 min |
August 16, 2020
Down To Earth
Disease Of Inequality
COVID-19 has drilled deep holes in an already unequal world, making life for the underprivileged unlivable
3 min |
August 01, 2020
Down To Earth
WHO Is Tracking India's Health?
The burden of mysterious ailments mounts in India as its disease surveillance system lies in a shambles
10+ min |
August 01, 2020
Down To Earth
Rain rupture in monsoon pattern
While some parts of the northeast, especially Assam, are suffering from unprecedented floods, other states are receiving deficit rainfall
3 min |
August 01, 2020
Down To Earth
Toxic row
Industry lobby is at work to dilute the proposed ban on 27 widely used hazardous pesticides
3 min |
August 01, 2020
Down To Earth
Predicting a shock
In the past few months, India has been rocked by numerous small earthquakes. But science to predict them is still in its infancy
5 min |
August 01, 2020
Down To Earth
Peril in the hills
THE NILGIRI HILLS ARE WITNESSING ECOSYSTEM COLLAPSE DUE TO EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS TRIGGERED BY CLIMATE CHANGE
5 min |
August 01, 2020
Down To Earth
Grounded in wisdom
TRADITIONAL MINI FLOUR MILLS MAY NO LONGER BE IN VOGUE IN OUR HOMES, BUT THEY HELP PREPARE NUTRITIOUS FOOD
4 min |
August 01, 2020
Down To Earth
Corona 2.0
The next coronavirus is round the corner. But scientists don’t know when, and how it will explode
3 min |
July 16, 2020
Down To Earth
Let There Be Blue Sky
The nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has unwittingly given us a glimpse of what our cities can look like if we wean away from polluting vehicles and industries. Let’s make this an everlasting reality
7 min |
July 16, 2020
Down To Earth
Mobility redefined
The pandemic offers probably the last chance to reform our public transport and make way for walking and cycling
7 min |
July 16, 2020
Down To Earth
Silver lining
From real-time monitoring to flying drones, Indian cities are innovating ways to handle COVID-19 biomedical waste
3 min |
July 16, 2020
Down To Earth
The great digital divide
The lockdown has shown that urban and rural India are miles apart in their online presence
4 min |
July 16, 2020
Down To Earth
Back to basics
The lockdown has made rice farmers reconsider a long-ignored sowing technique
6 min |
July 16, 2020
Down To Earth
SO, HOW FAR FROM THE END?
Unless something very different happens in the southern hemisphere, coronavirus may never go away and the disease may ultimately not be containable
5 min |
July 01, 2020
Down To Earth
Covid-19 To Double Poverty In India
A transfer of at least ₹750 per person a month for six months will help them recover from economic damage wrought by the pandemic
4 min |
July 01, 2020
Down To Earth
Pale and drawn
Contrary to rumours, the tiranga disease in tomatoes is no way linked to COVID-19, but has stirred up similar panic and helplessness among farmers in Maharashtra
4 min |
July 01, 2020
Down To Earth
Housing for a crisis
THE LOCKDOWN HAS MADE US REASSESS THE LIVABILITY OF STRUCTURES BUILT UNDER GOVERNMENT HOUSING SCHEMES
6 min |
July 01, 2020
Down To Earth
The bean stock
FIELD BEANS CAN BE A NUTRITIOUS ADDITION TO LEGUMES IN THE KITCHEN
4 min |
July 01, 2020
Down To Earth
WHY SHOULD ONLY JUMBOS MATTER?
THE OUTRAGE OVER THE DEATH OF A PREGNANT ELEPHANT IN KERALA HIGHLIGHTS OUR SKEWED NOTION OF BIODIVERSITY AND ITS CONSERVATION
4 min |
July 01, 2020
Down To Earth
Pride under threat
Is the government deliberately downplaying the deaths of 92 Asiatic lions this year?
3 min |
July 01, 2020
Down To Earth
In black and white
Every myth propagated by race science has been debunked over decades. But today, the rise of the Far-right parties is giving race scientists a new tonic to fuel hatred, writes S S Jeevan
10+ min |
July 01, 2020
Down To Earth
GIVE THEM GUARANTEED BASIC INCOME
Had a minimum income guarantee scheme been in place, it would have required only a ramping up of the transfers to protect the poor
6 min |
July 01, 2020
Down To Earth
CASH, ON DELIVERY
India has employed its direct benefit transfer system to help people tide over the ongoing health and economic crises. Its real test will begin when the crises deepen
10+ min |
July 01, 2020
Down To Earth
Our Daily Dose Of Antibiotics
As dairy farmers inject antibiotics in their livestock, chances are high that these are passed on to humans through milk, finds Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment
9 min |
June 16, 2020
Down To Earth
Consumption In Covid-19 Times
We have a unique opportunity to change our food habits and push for policies that promote healthy, nutritious and safe food. This can also reduce our carbon footprint.
6 min |
June 16, 2020
Down To Earth
THE OTHER PLAGUE
Locusts have returned to India in just two months and are spreading to new territories. Has climate change added another layer of stress and uncertainty?
10+ min |
June 16, 2020
Down To Earth
DEAD LINES
More than 70 per cent coal-fired power plants will not meet environmental norms by 2022, five years after their deadline was extended, says a new report by Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment
7 min |
June 16, 2020
Down To Earth
The wait
DOWN TO EARTH’S VIVEK MISHRA HAS WALKED FROM DELHI TO SHRAVASTI IN UTTAR PRADESH TO CAPTURE THE PLIGHT OF WORKERS RETURNING HOME AFTER LOSING LIVELIHOODS DUE TO THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN. THIS IS THE SECOND OF THE TWO-PART REPORT DOCUMENTING HIS 600 KM JOURNEY
5 min |