CATEGORIES

On thin ice

Reduced snowfall and high temperatures have upturned the lives of people in the Himalayan cold desert

For A Sustainable Farm Sector

A look at strategies and pathways to make Indian agriculture resilient in a changing climate and help the country fulfil commitments it made at COP26

Some more unequal

The world today is richer than ever, but the wealth gap between the rich and the poor has also widened to levels last seen at the height of imperialism 200 years ago

RAINING FOR 60 DAYS

Incessant heavy rains over south India for the past two months indicate a drastic change in the country’s monsoon system and hint at the new climate extremes of a perpetually warming world

Plant protection authority sets right its potato blunder

A public campaign forced it to revoke registration of PepsiCo’s potato variety, but the agency needs to reset its priorities

Virus' Variant Ways

The third year of the global COVID-19 outbreak begins with a new variant, much like the earlier Delta variant that emerged at the start of the second year. Delta caused deadly waves, but the new variant, named Omicron, is more transmissible and shows signs of breaching acquired immunity. The world should be braced for a prolonged pandemic

Visiting Viruses

Are viruses good or bad? Should we really visit one? AWell, given the present times, the instant answer would be: viruses are bad and there is definitely no need to visit them. There is a reason why we are urgently following social distancing. The evidence? SARS-CoV-2, of course! We all know that this virus causes the novel coronavirus disease, wreaking havoc across the world since the end of 2019. It has turned our lives upside down because of its rapid infection spree. Not only COVID-19, but viruses also cause illnesses like Ebola, smallpox, influenza, SARS, MERS, and dengue. But, did you know that if it was not for some viruses, there would be no humans? They probably played a crucial role in human evolution. For the last few years, scientists around the world have been exploring these agents of change to unravel several mysteries associated with them.

PUSA spray: a breakthrough to reduce air pollution in Delhi NCR

Bengaluru-based firm “nurture.farm” is providing technology to aid farmers to spray decomposers over an unprecedented 5 lakh acres which proves to be a boon to the National Capital Region (NCR). The firm is offering a microbial bioenzyme “Boom spray” developed by Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) to help farmers across India to dispose stubble (crop residue) on their farms responsibly. The company is giving free service to farmers where spraying the bioenzyme, named “Pusa Decomposer”, and gets converted into manure, thereby improving the quality of soil. A technologyled solutions provider for sustainable agriculture, has signed up with more than 25,000 farmers, mostly in Punjab and Haryana, covering an area of over 5,00,000 acres. Thanks to IARI and nurture.farm for this innovative solution to poor air quality index.

Plastic and microplastic in marine environment

Modern lifestyles and Malmost all product categories incorporated plastic. It is one of the most widely used materials on earth. In contrast to metals, plastic is lightweight, strong, malleable material that is cheap. As useful as these characteristics are when plastics are used in everyday life, they can also be very hazardous when they are discarded into the environment. Because plastics are nearly indestructible and contain toxic material, plastic can seriously damage the environment (UNEP, 2005).

Fish exposed to Microplastics pollution since 1950s

Plastics is an avoidable thing for modern Pcivilization, it is impossible to picture a future without it. Plastics are ubiquitous and it is included in food packaging, automobiles, clothes, fishing gear, and medical devices. Plastics are highly used because of its features such as lightness, strength, durability, and low cost, among other alternatives. Plastics benefits are overshadowed by their drawbacks, such as their strong resistance to deterioration and the real fact that they get accumulate in nature due to poor management of waste in many parts of the world. This can be particularly noticeable on beaches and in oceans, where currents and wind carry plastic trash.

Use of Insects as a protein source for broiler production under Indian conditions

Poultry meat contributes more than 50% Pof total meat market in India (DAHD, 2019).

The Importance of Evidence in Medicine

Experience is a person's biggest asset. Often in our Edaily life, our actions are dictated by the way our previous decisions panned out. With experience, we can estimate the consequences of our actions, making it easier to decide the manner in which we carry out a certain task. While two people can have similar experiences, identical experiences are hard to come across. There is always a variation in the way different people carry out their tasks, which is owed to the difference in their experiences. Therefore, while one person may be able to carry out a task perfectly, the other may make errors causing a delay in completion of the task. This is where 'science' or 'evidence' becomes crucial.

Egg: good source of choline supplement

The egg is one Cof the rich sources of choline. The importance of choline is tremendous in the body during the different physiological processes. Choline is necessary for the normal functioning of all cells in our body.

Era of large air purifiers

Pollution is nothing but some un-wanted or un-acceptable level of Pan item. Pollution in all its forms in air, water and land have reached to alarming levels and people are feeling its harmful health effects. Though, sound pollution, corruption, loss of humanity due to changing thoughts/mind sets, growing population, growing unemployment, increasing hunger/malnutrition, widening economical, academic & digital divide/gap of society, and many more are no way less than air, water and land pollution which are affecting the mankind severely. The present way of civilization/modernization based on technology is said to be the root cause of all these various types of pollution. Though, we all at individual level are responsible for each type of pollution but we always prefer to point fingers towards others and rest hope on others to find the solution for all the evils including pollution. Developing technology to tackle or control pollution is way behind than the need to “nip the evil in the bud”. Thus, there is great need to control, minimize or stop all such activities which leads to the generation of pollution but without scarifying our comforts based on technological development, we want to develop pollution control solutions either towards post mitigation of pollution or making pollution controlled technological assisted development.

POLAVARAM DAM "FROM HEAVEN TO HELL"

Under the serene backwaters of the Godavari are 72 villages of Andhra Pradesh that got submerged, some completely, this June because of the under-construction Polavaram dam. SHAGUN KAPIL visited some of these villages in East and West Godavari districts as well as seven rehabilitation colonies, and found serious flaws with the resettlement process that has caused agony to countless families

AEDES THE MENACE

The latest outbreaks of Zika fever in India indicate that mosquito-borne diseases are fast spreading to new populations and regions. They are also no longer restricted to the monsoon season. Aedes mosquitoes that are responsible for transmitting a range of diseases are particularly becoming invasive in a rapidly warming world. An analysis by VIVEK MISHRA and VIBHA VARSHNEY in Delhi with NEETU SINGH in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh

Moderna's brazen patent rab on a COVID jab

The US administration is finally putting its foot down on the appropriation of public research by drug firms

Bitter sweet

Petha production in Agra leaves behind waste and pollution. The city must develop strategies to reduce their impact

India's successes at COP26

Collaborative, not competitive, approach can save our planet

THE SIGNS

The Sumi Naga tribe has developed a whole portfolio of ecological indicators to help predict weather. The lack of documentation and loss of biodiversity puts this traditional knowledge at risk of extinction

Deadlock in Palk Bay

India-Sri Lanka fishing conflicts show no signs of abatement as efforts to phase out destructive trawling practices show little progress

Tantalising wait

As Himalayan farmers grow the country’s first asafoetida plants, changing weather threatens to play spoilsport

Mushroom Consumption May Lower Risk Of Depression

Mushrooms have been making headlines due to their many health advantages. Not only do they lower one's risk of cancer and premature death, but new research led by Penn State College of Medicine also reveals that these superfoods may benefit a person's mental health.

Take heart

A STATIN-FREE LIFE IS A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO HEART HEALTH FROM A CARDIOLOGIST WHO HAS LONG ARGUED THAT THE CHOLESTEROL-FOCUSSED APPROACH TO PREVENTING AND TREATING HEART DISEASE IS FLAWED

Yes, says Prime Minister

After a year of farmers’ protests, the government will repeal the three farm laws

Long-distance lessons

An educational non-profit virtually connects rural children with teachers who can instruct in their native language ANIL ASHWANI SHARMA

A reluctant survivor

MORE THAN 28 FARMERS AND AGRICULTURAL WORKERS DIE BY SUICIDE EVERY DAY IN THE COUNTRY. ONE DAY IN 2014, RAMRAO PANCHLENIWAR FROM MAHARASHTRA'S VIDARBHA REGION WAS SET TO BE ONE SUCH CASE; BUT HE MIRACULOUSLY SURVIVED. IN RAMRAO: THE STORY OF INDIA'S FARM CRISIS, JOURNALIST JAIDEEP HARDIKAR TRACES THE LIFE OF THIS COTTON GROWER AND THROUGH IT, THE TRIBULATIONS OF INDIA'S AGRARIAN COMMUNITY. EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK:

The new bare minimum

The newly agreed global minimum corporate tax to prevent ultinational firms from avoiding the legal cess regime is riddled ith clauses to ensure that profits stay with the rich nations

The bizarre demand for a Banarasi paan GI

Geographical Indication tag continues to be handed out without examining the scientific basis or the integrity of such claims

VALUE IN THE WEED

BATHUA IS IN DEMAND FOR ITS NUTRITION AND TASTE. IMPROVED VARIETIES OF THE WEED CAN MAKE IT POPULAR AMONG FARMERS