Will the farmer benefit from cash support?

A first after many years, farmers are at the centre of political attention. Ahead of the general elections, there is a rush of cash support schemes to woo them. This may bring some solace to farmers, but will the schemes have a lasting impact?

Court digest: Major environment hearings in January

While every week, Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, high courts and National Green Tribunal, here is a round-up of all the Saturday digests for January

Peace isn't elusive

After the Pulwama terror strike, the Kashmir debate has reopened. We bring to you an older article from brighter times, which underscores the importance of natural resources as a solution to the region's problems 

Full coverage: Impacts of climate change on Hindu Kush Himalayan region

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development assessed the ecologically important but fragile region for the very first time. Here's all you need to know about it

Interim Budget 2019: The full coverage

Here is a look at what all was promised by Union Minister Piyush Goyal and if it stands in the real world

Coastal Regulation Zone Notification: What development are we clearing our coasts for

The Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2018, has diluted India's only protection system for the fragile ecology and opened it up to realtors and large-scale development projects

Before Feb 1, brush up your knowledge of all Budgets since Independence

An analysis of all budgets since 1947, their relevance, exclusion of children’s rights and what the last Budget lacked: all of which is here

Full coverage: State of renewable energy in India

India has set ambitious targets for green power. But how feasible are they? How is the progress?

India's cow crisis: The full coverage

All that you need to know about what's wrong with India's cow laws and the problems they are leading to in a five-part series

Listen... plants too speak

As early as in 1880, Charles Darwin demonstrated that plants could sense light, moisture, gravity, pressure and possessed several other qualities. Over the years, many scientists have proved that plants are sentient beings and move and respond to sensation. The subject is still controversial among the scientific community. Monica Gagliano is research associate professor of evolutionary …

Namami Gange: 5 reasons why Ganga will not be clean by 2020

Even after 4 years and an allotment of Rs 22,000 crore, Modi’s flagship programme is far from being a success  

Sanitation will remain a mirage even after India stops defecating in the open

Although we will meet the target of an open defecation free India much before deadline, it is still the easiest milestone that we have crossed. Here, Down To Earth takes a hard look at the challenges that need to be addressed

What does Modicare mean for India's poor and sick?

In the absence of a proper public health infrastructure, what does Ayushman Bharat mean for millions of poor & sick? Kundan Pandey travels to five states to find out

This is why Kerala floods were the worst in a century

Kerala's worst flood since 1924 reinforces how local environmental degradation and lack of disaster preparedness can make extreme weather events deadly

Genetically modified foods can cause unintended changes: ICMR

In the absence of long-term studies to ascertain health impacts, countries are following precautionary principle to regulate genetically modified foods

The real weed

The WHO says it causes cancer and studies link it to many diseases. Countries have been struggling to ban or restrict its use. But a new movement to ban this chemical is gaining ground

Palm oil consumption increased 230% in almost 2 decades, yet India imports most of it

India has not been able to achieve self-sufficiency in palm oil production despite 40 years of efforts. Down To Earth travelled to some of the oil growing states to understand why

What makes 2017 Atlantic hurricane season unprecedented?

Tropical cyclones like hurricanes and typhoons are changing character due to global warming. Not only are they becoming more frequent, wind speeds are also intensifying much quickly, putting the lives of coastal communities at grave risk and causing widespread devastation.

R K Laxman and his love for common crow

Legendary cartoonist who passed away on Monday in Pune had a fascination for the crow, which he thought was a really ‘uncommon’ bird

Waterhunt

Going thirsty in the Kerala backwaters

Another crawl for humankind

The Kyoto agenda shuffled along at the recent climate change meeting in Bonn, but climate change mitigation was still not in sight