Highlights from the issue

Highlights from the issue

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Civil lines: Things fall apart

Things fall apart
Red Crescent teams and firefighting units conducting relief operations in the Resalat area of Tehran affected by the US‑Israeli ‌airstrikes.Photo Courtesy: @Iranian_RCS/X

Wars and conflicts now kill more people than natural disasters, and there is no propensity to achieve peace

Special report: Himalayan fire shift

Himalayan fire shift: Tale of flames and ice unfolding across the range
The Himalayas in Uttarakhand have experienced a tenfold increase in the incidence of forest fires between 2004 and 2024Photograph: Vikas Choudhary /CSE

As the Himalayas warm and winters grow drier, forest fires are climbing to unprecedented heights, where their number has quadrupled over the past decade

Cover story: Powering transition

Renewable Pioneers: How South India is powering energy transition
Illustrations: Yogendra Anand / CSE

Karnataka, Tamil Nadu’s tryst with renewable power provide lessons for accelerating India’s energy transition

Karnataka's rapid transition

Renewable Pioneers: How Karnataka’s rapid transition was achieved
Windmills in Hassan countryside in Karnataka.PRIYADARSHAN Copyright (2021) MYSORE. vis iStock

Tamil Nadu's offshore leap

Renewable Pioneers: Tamil Nadu’s offshore leap
Wind turbine farm in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu.Photo: iStock

Patently absurd: Universities in crisis, innovation is stifled

Universities in crisis, innovation is stifled
Illustration: Yogendra Anand/CSE

Political control and skewed policies have led to unrest in academia, stifling creativity and meaningful research

Opinion: Spark in the game

Spark in the game
Illustration: Yogendra Anand / CSE

The Reserve Bank of India’s restored recognition of Default Loss Guarantees re-enables credit flow into last-mile electric mobility

Special report: At core of survival

Women of Raika Mala spend several hours every day fetching water from the green, murky johad.
Women of Raika Mala spend several hours every day fetching water from the green, murky johad.Bhagirath

Water scarcity defines life in a village inside Sariska Tiger Reserve’s critical habitat, as debates over its relocation drag on

Special report: Poisoned promise

Poisoned promise
India, Brazil, China and the US together contribute 53-68 per cent of the world’s pesticide toxicityPhotograph: Vikas Choudhary /CSE

Toxicity from intensive use of pesticides is rising globally. In India, levels exceed the global average in Indo-Gangetic plains

Opinion: Great Nicobar dilemma

In fragile ecosystems like Great Nicobar, constitutional wisdom lies in ensuring that transformation is ecologically sustainable, socially just
A Giant Leatherback Turtle laying its eggs on a secluded beach on Great Nicobar.Photo: iStock

In the fragile ecosystem of Nicobar, strategic development must align with

constitutional commitment to protect environment, indigenous dignity

Life and nature: Catch by the roots

After harvesting, the grass is sorted by length and quality before being bundled for drying, a process that enhances the fibre’s strength and longevity
After harvesting, the grass is sorted by length and quality before being bundled for drying, a process that enhances the fibre’s strength and longevity(photographs: Pravat Kumar Shit)

Sabai grass could be a game-changer for the marginalised economies of West Bengal’s dry uplands. All it needs is an efficient market strategy

Sunita Narain's Desk: Conflict in the backyard

Conflict in the backyard
Illustration: Yogendra Anand /CSE

India must balance wildlife protection with farmers’ livelihoods

Down To Earth
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