CATEGORIES

PHARMA DISRUPTOR

Pharma companies today deploy artificial intelligence with a potential to reduce the drug development cycle by half. But doubts remain about reliability of the technology

DEEP UNKNOWN

The Earth's core works as an engine to generate heat for natural processes and produce the planet's magnetism. But as this iron-rich layer gradually solidifies into a ball, what will happen to the planet's habitability? As the world drills into and analyses the Earth's interiors, certain clues about its evolution and state emerge.

Sewage overload

Ganga remains polluted despite cleanliness drives

GRAIN SIZE: SEED TROUBLE

An increase in number of days with extreme temperatures or rain has caused a decline in quality and size of seeds across India

ROUGH WATERS AHEAD

Rapid intensification and unpredictable movement of tropical cyclones in recent years may form a template for future storm systems

'EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE'

This is the strategy required to fight climate change, said UN chief António Guterres while releasing IPCC's 'Synthesis Report' on March 20. Guterres describes the report as a \"guide to diffuse the climate bomb\". But the clock is ticking, with some climate impacts nearing irreversibility. Here's a look at a few concerns:

AGRARIAN REVOLUTIONARY

A tireless advocate for empowerment of rural communities, PV Satheesh will remain an inspiration

Carbon credit scheme triggers human crisis

THE NORTHERN Kenya Grassland Carbon Project, the world’s largest and first carbon credit programme using livestock grazing practices, might be doing more harm than good.

Banking on tradition

Odisha's Kondh tribe introduces a seed festival and bank to facilitate use of indigenous varieties and traditional farming to overcome crop loss

Climate's Clear Connect

Malawi is in the throes of its worst-ever cholera outbreak right after three cyclonic events hit the African country in 2022. Nigeria faces the same scourge after its heaviest floods in a decade last year. Kenya's most severe drought in four decades has also been followed by a cholera outbreak. Africa offers numerous cases that show how climate events trigger and exacerbate diseases.

Science stagnated

A megafauna bias in India's carnivore research is hampering the country's conservations efforts

Foisting a GI tag on Mandu's baobab tree

Commerce ministry's drive to push up the Geographical Indications tally is a lazy exercise that does not benefit local communities

Loss of a legacy

Extreme weather events, rising input costs make betel leaf cultivation unviable in Mahoba, nearly destroying the district's unique Desawari variety that received Geographical Indications tag in 2021

Choppy waters

Demand for freshwater is fast exceeding supply. Can the UN water conference, being held almost after 50 years, ensure water security in a fragmented and warming world?

Traditionally yours

Millets are a good source of nutrients, but their hybrid varieties may not be as potent as the traditional ones

DISTURBED

After an unusually dry and hot winter season, India faces an imminent low yield of rabi crops. The reason for this year's abnormal winter, the third in a row, lies in the changing character of the Western Disturbances. The frequency and intensity of the storm systems, which bring winter rains to the northern plains and snowfall in the Himalayas, are decreasing

World Commits To Protect 30% Of Land And Seas By 2030

The world has taken first step to meet the stiff target of bringing 30 per cent of its land, inland and marine areas under protection by 2030

KERNEL POWER

The small, brown seeds of tamarind are not just a rich source of protein but also versatile in use beyond food items

Women rising

Self-help groups bring about socio-economic empowerment of women by providing access to income-generating opportunities. Focus should now be on improving their political representation

One drug, 166 patents and $208-billion sales

Arthritis drug Humira is a stark example of how the US patent regime allows drug firms to drain patients and the health system

COASTAL CRISIS

Odisha is fast losing its shoreline to rising sea levels. Its adaptation plans must not only be immediate but also foolproof

MINOR MOVE

Assam's evangelical crackdown on child marriage to curb high maternal mortality is an imperfect solution to a problem with multiple triggers

A common battle

Despite legal entitlement, Dalit communities in Punjab are locked in a constant struggle to exercise their rights over village common land

Ease of rejection

Launched to facilitate a review of rejected forest rights claims, Madhya Pradesh' web portal has led to speedy dismissal of applications

India's First Prospective DNA Vaccine Against Dengue

India’s first prospective DNA vaccine against dengue shows promising results on mice

Why The Earthquake In Turkiye And Syria Was So Deadly?

A series of earthquakes over two days devastate Turkiye, Syria like never before

What Global Powers' Switch To Protectionism Means For India

What global powers’ switch to protectionism means for India

Beyond protected areas

AT THE FEET OF LIVING THINGS JOURNALS EXPERIENCES OF ECOLOGISTS WHO PRACTISE A COLLABORATIVE AND SOCIO-ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE APPROACH TO CONSERVATION

safety from numbers

Over-exploitation of some Himalayan towns due to huge influx of people and vehicles can be dealt with by developing more tourist spots and through targeted afforestation and solid waste management measures

Gagging scientists is a lousy idea

Science needs to be open; the silencing of experts by the Modi regime on critical issues is against the public interest