Celebrated minds

In 2016, many Indian-origin scientists made it big and got international acclaim for their work. From genetics to nanoelectronics, these scientists have kept the spirit of discovery alive.

Environmental collapse before Soviet’s fall

Exactly 25 years after the fall of the USSR, let’s take a look at its ‘consumeristic’ policies for exploiting natural resources at the cost of degrading environment and public health

Twelve years later, impact of Tsunami still makes waves

Down To Earth revists the causes of the massive earthquake that triggered tsunami 12 years ago and the progress scientists have made towards understanding and predicting its trigger

Digitising agriculture in face of climate change

Extreme weather and changing geography threatened food security and livelihood in Africa and Asia this year. Digitising agriculture has become a necessity to battle climate change and protect the vulnerable lot

Not a promissory note

Demonetisation casts a long shadow over the rural economy

Blind spot in Namami Gange

By 2019, when Swachh Bharat Mission comes to an end, some 30 million septic tanks and pits would have been dug along the Ganga. It's time the Central, state and local sanitation programmes recognised faecal sludge management as a priority to ensure a clean Ganga  

In a Trump world, can Africa be great again?

Africa was a policy priority for previous three administrations—Clinton, Bush and Obama. But can US contribute to Africa’s growth story once Trump pushes ‘America First’ agenda?

Warring over water

While issues like Cauvery water sharing and Indus Treaty figured prominently in 2016, other inter-state water conflicts could be on the anvil as we look forward to 2017

Mountain people in the throes of great changes

To secure the existence of highland people, we need to create sustainable economic avenues

Making of the Indian Constitution: a simplified brief

On the occasion of 70 years of the Constituent Assembly of India, Down to Earth explains the incremental stages of formulation of the Constitution

Justice eludes for more than three decades

32 years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, the survivors still fight the aftermath of the industrial disaster and government apathy

The march of isolationism

Is Donald Trump's victory a win for anti-free-market forces? Is it the death knell for capitalism and globalisation?

The dirty truth

On the occasion of the World Toilet Day, we present some stark truths about sanitation challenges in India, including the progress report of the government and experts’ observations

Enough is enough

For over a week after Diwali, Delhi breathed poison. Air pollution peaked to unprecedented levels. Public anger forced emergency measures. But they are not enough. How can we avoid this annual mayhem? A report by Vivek Chattopadhyaya, Usman Nasim, Polash Mukerjee, Rajeshwari Ganesan, Anupam Chakravartty, Shambhavi Shukla, Anisha Raman AND Anu K Soman

2011-2015: mighty hot five-year period

A study by the World Meteorological Organization analyses this five-year period for a better understanding of multi-year warming trends and extreme events

Mr Trump, please don’t set a bad precedent

Despite the signs of climate change, Donald Trump administration can derail the modest progress that the US has made towards tackling it

What's in store for US climate agenda after Obama?

The success of Paris Climate deal depends largely on the political willingness of one of the largest emitters in the world

Seeds of decline

Frequent pest attacks, rising seed costs and declining returns are forcing farmers to abandon India's first genetically modified (GM) crop, Bt cotton. The trend is catching up worldwide with GM crops. Darshan Desai accesses an exclusive government evaluation and reports from Gujarat; Jitendra explores the fate of farmers in northern India's cotton belt; Mukund Kulkarni tracks rising debt …

Through the thick air

This Diwali, PM 10 and PM 2.5 reached eight times the safe limit. Its not the first time and it won't be the last. Burning of crop stubble, road dust and vehicular emissions are main culprits

Transformation in agriculture needed to cope with climate change

A FAO report points out that a “business as usual” scenario can increase the number of poor by between 35 and 122 million by 2030 relative to a future without climate change