Aral Apocalypse

The Aral Sea has shrunk to a fourth of its size. Neha Mungekar travels to Uzbekistan and recounts how it remains a living sample of a monumental human-made ecological catastrophe

Rise Of The Fall

Fall Armyworm, a deadly but little understood crop pest, poses a threat to food security and livelihoods of millions as it ravages crops in Africa and now Asia. First detected in July 2018 in India, the pest has caused widespread damage to maize crops, raising the possibility that the country may have to import maize.

Bedaquiline And India's Patent Law

Opposition to the new patent claims on the Johnson & Johnson drug is a test of how well the rules against evergreening are working.

Robots Are Here, Almost

The use of industrial robots is growing at an unprecedented rate in India. Are blue-collar jobs under threat?

Hidden Elixir

A one-stop medicine shop, amrakh can be the wow factor in homemade pickles and chutneys.

Encroached Upon

Thirteen years aft er a historic law was formulated to give forest dwellers legal ownership of their traditi th onal land, their fate still hangs in the balance.A recent Supreme Court verdict, which almost made their eviction imminent, has brought the focus back on the tedious righhts recognition process under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.ISHAN KUKRETI reports from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarli and Delhi, with inputs from PRIYA RANJAN SAHU in Odisha

Of Cacti And Algae

Even after 50 years, India's research on forage crops fails to avert fodder shortage but churns out some unconventional alternatives

Profitable Pods

Yongchak is a Manipuri legume used in salads, pickles and delicacies

Empanel A Jury...

...because solar panel waste is piling up

Farmers Rights Are A Hot Potato

The fallout between US major PepsiCo and Gujarat’s potato growers underlines the looming threat to farmers’ rights in India over ownership of seeds.

Kumbh Raises A Stink

A city that celebrated the festival of faith months ago, is on the verge of an epidemic.

Cyclone Fani - New Gust Of Wind

Cyclone Fani hits Odisha, bringing back horrid memories of the 1999 super cyclone. The state is better prepared now. But a changing climate the chemistry of cyclones as changed. This poses a bigger threat.

The Countdown Begins

In the world’s biggest-ever electoral exercise, the largest democracy has elected a new government. It’s not just a national occasion of celebration and hope; the world is closely watching India. The new government is taking charge when the countdown to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (sdgs) has begun. In just 10 years—by 2030 or in just two tenures of a Union government in India—the world has to deliver on the ambitious 17 sdgs and 169 targets.For each of these goals, India has the pivotal role in defining whether the world will be able to meet these targets. That's because of the sheer number of Indians who are lagging behind in each of these development indices. So, for the new government it is not just a national development agenda, but also a global responsibility. Down To Earth has set a roadmap for the new government, which can also become a framework for the world to ensure development for all

Welfare Interrupted

Sloppy government attitude holds up a project and a technology that can manage faecal waste as well as generate clean fuel SHAGUN KAPIL VALSAD, GUJARAT

A Sweet Trick

The sugar lobby does not want an answer to the global debate on whether sugar is bad for health

Reverse Gear On Oil Palm

Sixteen years after the Supreme Court banned monoculture plantations in Andaman and Nicobar Islands' fragile ecosystem, the administration wants it revoked

March Against Asbestos

Though its use is banned in most countries, the asbestos industry continues to thrive at the cost of putting millions of people at risk

Anger Of The Jobless Youth

Their frustrations in an unjust world can take various expressions—a fidayeen in iraq, a stone pelter in kashmir, a mercenary in saudi arabia, a rabid gaurakshak (cow protector) in India or a hedonist in shanghai.

How IT Threatens Democracy

Social media could be just the start of a slippery slope leading to an orwellian world controlled by big data brother.

Affirmative Action Policies Are Under Threat

Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar speaks to Jitendra.

Root unearthed

Gandrayani is a root used widely in Uttarakhand to enhance the flavour of dishes. But there is hardly any research on the health benefits of this plant.

Casted Out

Discrimination against the Dalits is still pervasive in our society, and this is seriously marring the potential of the Mid Day Meal Scheme

Shocking Waste

India enacted a law to manage e-waste in 2016, but lack of data and a monitoring mechanism have rendered it toothless

Made Of Sand

India is importing river sand to satiate the growing demand of its construction industry and to keep soaring sand prices in check. But imports alone will not suffice without effective implementation of regulations and promotion of alternative construction materials. An analysis

Spice Route

Found in high altitude forests, lichens are an important ingredient of almost all spice mixes of India

Evergreening Rampant In India

India's patent office has ignored the strict safeguards against evergreening and allowed a flood of secondary drug patents

For The Sake Of Oaks

Uttarakhand should use inflammable chirpines to generate power. This would contain forest fires that are threatening native oak trees and provide employment

The Chinese Patent Juggernaut

China has toppled Japan from No 2 spot and is set to become the leader in global patent filings, specially in future technologies

The Malthusian Muddle

In these times of climate change, the world needs fresh ideas to get out of the logjam over whether population is a curse or a resource

Tribunal On A Tightrope

Poor implementation of polluter pays principle and conflicts with the environment ministry risks the National Green Tribunal's effectiveness.