Royally ignored

Small hydropower projects have suffered the rise of solar power

Nothing human about it

A dam on river Human can alienate tigers from one of their largest corridors in Maharashtra

Green laws matter

A COMPENDIUM OF CASES THAT INTERPRET THE CONSTITUTION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JURISPRUDENCE

Lost in the game

Jharkhand government has quietly wiped three wildlife sanctuaries off its records in West Singbhum district to abet iron ore mining

First contact, is it?

The periodic radio waves hitting Earth from a neighbouring galaxy are unlikely to be from aliens, but the possibility cannot be ruled out AKSHIT SANGOMLA NEW DELHI

A fare deal

Luxembourg has a solution to India’s traffic jams

Spending Responsibly?

Companies can bring meaningful changes in society through the huge₹13,624 crore corporate social responsibility funds

Can we triumph over tragedy of commons?

The battle to save Mumbai’s Aarey forest, where the authorities resorted to midnight chopping of some 2,000 trees to make way for the Metro Rail car shed, has grown into one of the most prominent environmental campaigns in recent months. As citizens and environmentalists call out that construction inside Mumbai’s last remaining lungs will affect the temperatures and rains, and result in huge floodings in the city, the movement highlights the growing frustration among people due to poorly conceived urban growth and chaos. Be it parks, public squares, green spaces or sidewalks, urban folks are increasingly realising the importance of shared spaces in providing clean air and water supply, preventing floods droughts and heatwaves and ensuring their physical and mental well-being. Then, why are urban planners hesitant to re-imagine the urban commons?

Target Beyond Reach

India Makes last-ditch attempt to popularise rooftop solar to meet its 2022 targets.

"DISCREPANCY IN UNIVERSE'S EXPANSION RATES COULD INDICATE SOME NEW PHYSICS"

IN 1998, SCIENTISTS DISCOVERED THAT THE RATE AT WHICH THE UNIVERSE WAS EXPANDING IS INCREASING. LAST YEAR, A GROUP OF SCIENTISTS CALCULATED THAT THIS RATE OF EXPANSION IS 10 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THE EARLIER CALCULATION. AKSHIT SANGOMLA SPEAKS TO ABRAHAM LOEB, CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ASTRONOMY AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY, ABOUT THE REASONS BEHIND THE DISCREPANCIES IN UNIVERSE’S EXPANSION RATES AND THE FORCES PULLING THE UNIVERSE APART

Unhealthy affair

AN EXHAUSTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CHALLENGES INDIA FACES IN THE HEALTH SECTOR

Overshadowed

India’s promising wind energy sector is struggling as the government gives more attention to solar power

Treasure in excreta

Phosphorus, a fast depleting natural resource, can be extracted from the unlikeliest avenue: faecal sludge SHAGUN KAPIL NEW DELHI

THE MAGIC BULLET'S TOLL

What if a saviour turns into a killer? After 80 years of use, overuse and abuse of antibiotics—termed magic bullets—microbes have become resistant to them. Antibiotic resistant diseases are undoing the great strides in modern treatment. VIBHA VARSHNEY exposes a growing public health crisis

Not so wild

SICKLE SENNA, A WIDELY AVAILABLE BUT LITTLE-KNOWN HERB, IS READY TO TAKE ON THE PHARMA INDUSTRY

Flowers at will

FARMERS OF A VILLAGE IN WEST BENGAL USE ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TO MAKE FLOWERS BLOOM AS PER MARKET DEMANDGURVINDER SINGH PURBA MEDINIPUR

Cold trap

India recognised cold waves as disaster in 2012. But the country still does not have an effective action plan to mitigate its impact

Between wars

Landless Scheduled Caste farmers of Punjab vow to intensify their movement as the state prepares to acquire village common land for industrial development

Wildlife Recall

ONCE IN THE GRIP OF ARMED INSURGENCY, A NATIONAL PARK HAS LESSONS IN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

Tasty Tubers

A LOST VEGETABLE OF AFRICA HAS GAINED ROOTS IN SOUTH INDIA WHERE IT IS COOKED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS

Tree Of Knowledge

Research on tree rings is now providing definitive evidence of global warming and its impact on weather systems

Farm Raiders

Western India is facing its most fierce locust attack in nearly three decades, the origins of which lie outside the country and were triggered by weather events attributable to climate change

Bereft Of Science

THE AUTHOR FAILS TO EVEN PROVIDE RUDIMENTARY EVIDENCE FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY CLAIMS

1.37 Billion And Not Counting

India, like the rest of the world, is intensely debating population explosion. But while countries are struggling to keep their numbers at replacement level, India is on the right path towards stabilising population sooner than expected. So what's the discussion all about? KUNDAN PANDEY captures the debate

Thar's Friend

MEET TINY MELON KACHRI WHICH TURNS SHORT OF GOLD UPON DRYING AND CHANGES THE FATE OF ALL THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH IT

We Will Never Have Paris

The climate emergency is defined not in terms of deadlines but critical thresholds. Four years after the Paris Agreement, on the eve of the 25 th UN Climate Change Conference, countries' under-performance on their Paris targets is set to take us past 3°C warming. Next year, countries are due to announce a new set of climate action goals. Can we course-correct to achieve the objective of being carbon neutral by 2050 and stay below the 1.5°C warming threshold? An assessment by TARUN GOPALAKRISHNAN & KAPIL SUBRAMANIAN

Punctured Cover

Crop insurance companies withdraw from Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana as extreme weather events spike claim rates resulting in heavy losses JITENDRA

‘Weavers Of Bengal Were An Incredible Asset For The East India Company'

WILLIAM DALRYMPLE IS HABITUATED TO HIS BOOKS CREATING A BUZZ. HIS LATEST, THE ANARCHY, FOCUSES ON HOW A JOINT- STOCK COMPANY, ESTABLISHED BY THE MERCHANTS OF LONDON, TOOK OVER PRACTICALLY THE ENTIRE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT BETWEEN 1756 AND 1803. RAJAT GHAI SPEAKS TO THE HISTORIAN-AUTHOR ABOUT THE EAST INDIA COMPANY AND THE FACTORS THAT LED TO ITS ASCENT IN SOUTH ASIA. EXCERPTS:

A Perfect Zero

Cities in the Philippines have adopted zero waste model to manage their waste. It's not just turning their waste to gold, but also making the surroundings clean, green and environmentally sustainable

Seed Money

CHIRONJI, A MILDLY SWEET NUT, ENSURES THAT FOREST DWELLERS NEVER RUN OUT OF CASH