Former reporter, Down To Earth
Whitefly lesson
A few villages in Haryana successfully grow cotton amid widespread destruction of the crop by whitefly in the region
A look at the changing scenario of Bihar politics
Of late, women have become the it factor in elections. Caste also plays a dominant role in voter polarisation
‘Indian and African leaders must not fail to protect interests of locals at upcoming WTO meet’
Civil society members have expressed deep concern about how talks in previous such meets have failed developing countries
Reaping organic
Karnataka was the first state to adopt a policy on organic farming in 2004. Since then, several initiatives have helped farmers fight drought, …
'India’s sanitation crisis is the biggest in the world'
According to Jack Sim, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat movement is a historic moment to transform India into a healthy …
Poor countries have remained poor, says World Bank
A new report confirms that Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are home to some of the poorest populations
Fertilizer companies will not allow meaningful action in agriculture during COP 21: report
The report says the role of fertilizers in contributing to climate change has been severely misunderstood
Sustainable Development Goals are not confined to poor countries
Unlike the Millennium Development Goals, SDGs will not be confined to poor countries
Limited access to pesticides reduced suicides in Tamil Nadu villages: WHO report
In rural India, poisoning accounts for four in 10 suicides due to swallowing of pesticides
Aid package not enough, say Europe’s struggling farmers
The EU has announced a $560-million support package for farmers hit by Russia’s import ban
44 per cent of India's districts face rain deficit
Major food-producing states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Punjab are the worst affected
High court notice to Haryana on new criteria for panchayat elections
The court had earlier stayed the decision to make academic qualifications more stringent
PM chooses to continue with UPA’s 2013 Land Acquisition Act
A much-elated Opposition said that the government had to give in to popular sentiment
Missing pulse
Despite being a world leader in pulses production, India has been forced to import due to crop loss and seed deficit. The sharp rise in prices is …
'We are unable to produce quality seeds'
India is facing a shortage of pulses. Untimely rains have caused their prices to rise by up to 64 per cent in 2014-15. Experts say we need to …
Senegal’s infamous agri-business project, Senhuile SA, on verge of shutdown?
A recent report states that the company is facing protests from residents of surrounding villages due to allegations of land grabbing and …
Study urges government to grant community rights to local forest dwellers
In tribal-dominated areas of the country, forests have always been traditionally managed by local communities
Project without a plan
After two budgets and Rs 5,300 crore in funding, the Centre's micro irrigation project that promises water to every farmland is not even close to …
Neem-coated growth
The Union government's decision to produce neem-coated urea will not only improve soil health and agriculture, but also halt its illegal …
Madhya Pradesh's call to bamboo investors reignites debate over forest access
Agreements for planting bamboo over 36,000 sq km of forestland take away the rights of the community, say forest rights activists
Rural consumers depend on market and PDS for cereals and pulses
Dependence on one’s own fields for wheat has reduced with rural households consuming only 29 per cent of total cereals from home-grown stocks
Centre plans to construct 42 water harvesting structures every hour to counter monsoon deficit
As per government documents, the current year’s progress report on MGNREGA shows that around 33,000 structures have been completed and work …
Off to another bad start
A failed monsoon this year could mean sixth consecutive crop failure in most parts of the country. The government must immediately prepare a long-…
Centre raises minimum support price for paddy by meagre Rs 50
Farmers across the country have already been left devastated by the unseasonal rains and forecast of 'deficit monsoon'
Can’t use a stinky public toilet? Expect a solution soon
A research aimed at increasing toilet use in countries has revealed striking observations