Science

Down To Earth
Breed Basket
Even when it comes to dogs, we still haven't got over the colonial hangover. We import breeds and give them English names. RAJAT GHAI speaks to S THEODORE BASKARAN, whose recent book explores little-known indigenous breeds.
6 min |
January 16, 2018

Down To Earth
Sweet Nothings Over Rosogolla
Bengal entrepreneurs add tulsi and stevia to rosogolla, turn their passion into a wellness business.
4 min |
January 16, 2018

Down To Earth
Insured, Really?
NDA government's flagship crop insurance scheme is losing traction with farmers
5 min |
July 16, 2018

Down To Earth
Don't Misunderstand The Leopard
Few wildlife enthusiasts have tracked leopards more closely or known them more intimately than JONATHAN and ANGELA SCOTT, who have made the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya their home for over 40 years. They speak to DEEPANWITA GITA NIYOGI about their book, The Leopard's Tale, that chronicles the secret and risky life of two leopards and their cubs.
3 min |
July 16, 2018

Down To Earth
Drowning In Waste
While Zanzibar is cashing in on tourism, it is also battling plastic menace in the form of litter consisting of discarded water bottles and toiletries
4 min |
November 01, 2018
Down To Earth
Wells Rescued
Kerala's Thrissur district has managed to arrest groundwater depletion by promoting well-recharge
3 min |
November 01, 2018

Down To Earth
The Zero Budget Farming Discord
There is unease over the crusader of natural farming, Subhash Palekar, for renaming the technique after himself
2 min |
November 01, 2018

Down To Earth
The Ganga Crusader
G D Agarwal's death after holding fast for 111 days for the cause of India's holy river should inspire us to fight in a Gandhian manner
2 min |
November 01, 2018
Down To Earth
Software Outsmarts Drug Research
Now, a programme can bypass patented drug pathways and create synthetically-produced medicines
2 min |
February 16, 2019
Down To Earth
Quick Fix Aid
A first after many years, farmers are at the centre of political attention. Ahead of the general elections, there is a rush of cash support schemes to woo them. This may bring some solace to farmers, but will the schemes have a lasting impact?
10+ min |
February 16, 2019

Down To Earth
Potato's Neglected Cousins
Tubers come in all shapes, sizes and colours, and pack quite a punch
3 min |
February 16, 2019

Down To Earth
Out Of The Legal Hole
There is no such thing as environmentally acceptable and safe rat-hole coal mining and hence this primitive practice must be discontinued
3 min |
February 16, 2019

Down To Earth
Will Nudge Come To Shove?
It is crucial that nudge as a tool is used meticulously for political canvassing
4 min |
February 16, 2019

Down To Earth
Fatal Test
A Maharashtra legislature panel's suggestion to make sex-determination test mandatory could derail decades of efforts to protect the rights of women and the safety of the girl child.
4 min |
June 1, 2017

Down To Earth
Landslide Trigger
Leakage from the tunnel carrying water to Parbati II hydroelectric plant in Kullu is just one way how the project threatens the landslide-prone area.
4 min |
June 1, 2017

Down To Earth
New Systems, Old Habits
Launched in 2014, the continuous monitoring systems for highly polluting industries were expected to usher in a new era of environmental governance in India. But poor planning, hasty execution and lack of enforcement have made the new-age regulatory mechanism a non-starter. Sanjeev Kumar Kanchan reports.
2 min |
June 1, 2017

Down To Earth
A Clean Miss
The new Swachh Survekshan ranking promotes cities with poor waste management practices.
6 min |
June 1, 2017

Down To Earth
Dry Run
Nutritional standards for the sale of camel milk, issued for the first time by the government, are a huge threat to the nascent dairy industry.
4 min |
February 01, 2017

Down To Earth
Out Of The Abyss
The recent surge in earthquakes and the explanation for the formation of the world's largest exposed fault have provided momentum to seismological research. SHREESHAN VENKATESH looks at the latest findings.
8 min |
February 01, 2017

Down To Earth
Rosewood Fades In India
After putting up a fight at CITES, will India be able to provide an alternative trade regime to rosewood artisans of the country?
4 min |
November 01, 2017

Down To Earth
Under Salty Waters
Is Andhra Pradesh turning a blind eye to illegal shrimp rearing?
3 min |
November 01, 2017

Down To Earth
Given To Imperious Decisions
Most of Indira Gandhi's decisions were in the right direction, but were not swayed by people's movements, which are the very soul of genuine environmental activism
5 min |
November 01, 2017

Down To Earth
No Just An Affair Of The Heart
Indira Gandhi made conservation a part of political discourse and her leadership on environment remains unparalleled globally
4 min |
November 01, 2017

Down To Earth
Poverty@25, India@70
Poverty remains conditional to one's social status
3 min |
November 01, 2017

Down To Earth
Through a Narrow Path
An engineering folly unfolds over a week-long journey along Bihar's Kosi river, a tempestuous tributary of the Ganga.
10+ min |
January 01, 2017

Down To Earth
A Fruitful Journey
A food safari in the desert of Rajasthan reveals a variety difficult to imagine in cities.
8 min |
January 01, 2017

Down To Earth
Embrace of Chipko
Impacts of the Chipko movement are visible in Chamoli even after four decades, but Tehri Garhwal has taken a different turn.
10 min |
January 01, 2017

Down To Earth
Serpentine Problem
WHO now recognises snakebite as a neglected disease. But India, which has the highest number of snakebite deaths, is woefully ill-prepared in tackling the problem
4 min |
August 1, 2017

Down To Earth
Inking Solutions To Pollution
Two Indian startups are converting polluted air particles into inks and paints
4 min |
August 1, 2017

Down To Earth
Back To Bins
The City Corporation of Panaji wants to discontinue the decentralised waste management system that helped it become a bin-free city
4 min |