Once considered an urban malaise, hypertension is on the rise in rural India. Even youngsters are suffering from it. What are the causes and repercussions for a country where over 70 per cent of the people live in villages, Vibha Varshney finds out

Paan is losing its appeal. Its trade has dipped 40-50 per cent in the past decade, while consumption of chewing tobacco, especially gutkha, increased during the period. Farmers now prefer other crops, DTE team reports

Batteries and meters, two widely used technologies are evolving fast. The primary goal is to bring efficiency. While one is striving to make devices slimmer and powerful, the other is steering ahead in bringing precision to measurement. Bharat Lal Seth reports

Sponge iron industry is set to drive future steel production of India. But the poorly regulated factories are highly polluting. Protests are frequent, often turning violent. A CSE study underscores the need for an action plan to help the industry meet both business and environmental challenges

As India prepares to launch the second Green Revolution in the eastern states with focus on rice, Down To Earth examines whether tilting towards resource- intensive, expensive hybrid rice is the right option for small and marginal farmers

Microfinance institutions in Andhra Pradesh grew rich by lending insured loans to the rural poor. When they failed to repay the company gave another loan. Many borrowers caved in and sought escape in suicide. What is wrong with the microfinance model? 

The most delectable hilsa, swore connoisseurs, were to be found in the rivers of Bangladesh. But silting and dams have changed that. They are moving towards the Ganga now. Kaushik Dasgupta reports

Ayurveda prescribes it for a range of ailments. People eat it for rejuvenation and boosting immunity. An Indian homemaker’s kitchen shelf is incomplete without a jar of this amber liquid. But without quality and safety controls, this gift of nature has been contaminated. CSE laboratory tests find high levels of antibiotics in well-known brands of honey sold in the market.

Cities all over the world are trying to ease congestion on roads and check car population to free their road space. Anumita Roychowdhury finds out where India is headed and what lessons can the country learn from them.

Groundwater levels in Andhra Pradesh are falling fast. Mounting loans for sinking borewells are driving farmers to suicide. Can the state’s efforts to monitor groundwater lead farmers to switch to less water-intensive crops?

The market is showing increasing prices of milk. It is not just increasing demand—rising fodder cost has made milk production unviable. It’s a greater problem for milk producers than consumers