CATEGORIES

The fading mirage of a TRIPS waiver

A year later, the proposal to lift WTO’s intellectual property blocks to making COVID vaccines has not inched forward

Many hues of haldi

Turmeric plays a prominent role not just in our kitchens, but in many auspicious rites and rituals as well

HERO HERB

The pandemic years have witnessed a boom in the production and export of the humble underground stem called turmeric, along with a renewal of interest among the scientific community in the spice’s therapeutic qualities, especially against COVID-19. VIBHA VARSHNEY reports why inclusion of the household herb in our daily diet is a healthy idea

CHASING CORAL

With the world having lost 14 per cent of its coral reefs in just one decade, a marine devastation seems imminent. But there may be some hope yet

Come September

The abnormally high rainfall in the final month of the rainy season has added to India's monsoon agony

BEYOND 100 DAYS

The national rural employment guarantee programme financially empowers village panchayats, thus making them an effective self-governing system

Dry as dust

has increased by 22 times the size of Delhi in the past 15 years. Rainfed farmlands and forests form a major chunk of this wasteland

Enigmatically dry

Drought haunts India as a normal monsoon season nears end

Stream of conflict

Krishna river dispute shows why there is an urgent need to rethink the way inter-state rivers are managed and governed

A STITCH IN TIME

The recovery of the ozone layer has helped the world fight climate change

In the blue

After spending decades controlling atmospheric emission of mercury, the world wakes up to the possibility that rivers are a major source of the toxic metal in the oceans

Devil's in the Detail

Seven years, four committees and two draft regulations later, India still does not have a clear labelling system to warn consumers about harmful levels of fat, salt and sugar hiding in processed foods. These ingredients are responsible for the growing burden of obesity and noncommunicable diseases. But a powerful industry and a hesitant food regulator are busy derailing all efforts.

Virtual healers

A mobile application provides people in rural areas of Bihar easy access to healthcare facilities

Grotesque Profits In The Time Of COVID

Vaccine equity goes for a toss as US recommends booster shots, while Pfizer and Moderna revenues soar by billions of dollars

Singular hype

While the Centre trumpets its latest ban to eliminate single-use plastics, the fine print of the new rules tells otherwise

PULSE PUZZLE

The government takes the usual market-regulatory steps every time there is a surge in prices of pulses—the primary source of protein for a majority of Indians. But shortfall in domestic production, the main reason behind the price rise, remains unaddressed. An analysis by VIVEK MISHRA, SHAGUN KAPIL, RAJU SAJWAN, ANIL ASHWANI SHARMA and BHAGIRATH

PATIYA'S STARVELINGS

It is important to probe further when an effective system fails to rescue the malnourished children in a village

Long road home

Uttarakhand is increasingly declaring its villages disasterprone. While many are fighting relocation, those who shift face conflicts with host villages over resources like water and grazing land. Is relocation the right way to mitigate disasters that are striking the Himalayan state with increasing ferocity?

In quest of foragers

GORDON RAMSAY GOES TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH TO EXPLORE HIDDEN FOOD TREASURES, THEIR BOLD FLAVOURS AND THE ARDENT KEEPERS

Bridge classes

More than 5,000 volunteers in villages of Odisha ensure that the lack of digital access does not hinder children's education amid the pandemic

Deal With Delta

The global dominance of the Delta variant shows that mutations have kept SARS-CoV-2 ahead of the game

PANDEMIC OF STEROIDS

Steroids are essential in fighting infectious diseases. Used recklessly, they can cause life-threatening side effects like mucormycosis, as was witnessed in the aftermath of the pandemic’s second wave. COVID-19 is a new disease, and its treatments and dosages are constantly evolving. India will find it difficult to contain the disease unless the government can ensure timely dissemination and implementation of treatment protocols. A report by BANJOT KAUR

FADING COLOUR

Establish farmer producer organisations to ensure that growers of the intensely flavourful golden Kandhamal turmeric do not turn away from it

OUT IN THE OPEN

Contrary to the government's claim of India being open defecation free, 15 per cent of Indians still go out to relieve themselves, says a WHO-UNICEF report

ROLE OF A LIFETIME

Dilip Kumar’s career coincided with a newly Independent India marred by many self-inflicted tragedies, and the roles he played resonated with a large section of people, cutting across classes

ON THIN AIR

Agriculture students demonstrate how aeroponics, once a niche and costly cultivation method, can help urban households

SHEAR DESPERATION

India's once thriving wool economy now depends on imports to sustain demand. Will the recent import of Australian Merino sheep for crossbreeding be enough to revive the sector?

Covaxin Data Silent On Protocol Breach

INDIA-MADE Covaxin shows 77.8 per cent effectiveness in symptomatic infections of sars-cov-2, as per the phase-3 clinical trial data released by the vaccine's manufacturer, Bharat Biotech. The preprint paper, uploaded to the online archive and distribution server medRxiv on July 2, says Covaxin has an efficacy of 93.4 per cent against severe covid-19 infections and 65.2 per cent against the Delta variant.

SEED EXTRAORDINAIRE

SABJA ARE RICH IN FIBRE AND LEND THEMSELVES TO A VARIETY OF RECIPES

TRIPS waiver caught in WTO labyrinth

There is little change in the position of countries opposing the waiver, and the India-South Africa proposal is being made to go through the hoops at WTO