C-sections becoming the norm for families in Telangana: Study

The Unicef research found that weak public health infrastructure, a mushrooming private health sector and social prestige were behind the rapid increase in C-sections in the state

WHO includes an Indian diagnostic test in its global TB programme

The TrueNet assay, a new molecular test to diagnose TB, also checks for resistance to the rifampicin drug in about 90 minutes

Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (January 16, 2020)

Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal

Extreme weather: 2019 broke records; don't expect 2020 to be better

The imprint of climate change is here to stay

Worst marine heatwave on record killed one million seabirds in North Pacific Ocean

The heatwave may be just a taste of what is to come for seabirds around the world as climate change accelerates

Cold trap: Severe winter keeps killing Indians as govt drags feet on policy

India recognised cold waves as disaster in 2012. But the country still does not have an effective action plan to mitigate its impact

Budget 2020-21: Will MGNREGA become an overarching rural development scheme

The upcoming budget will see many schemes being brought under the rural employment prtogramme; a direct cash transfer may be declared to top this up

WHO gears up amid new coronavirus cases in Japan, Thailand after China

About 41 people in Wuhan were infected with the virus that was traced to a seafood market

Environment-related offences fell in 2018; 8 states buck trend

Bihar forest offences up 249%, MP wildlife cases jump 480%; Rajasthan, UP stay hotspots

Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (January 15, 2020)

Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal

Killer hospitals: A child dies every minute in Indian hospitals

On an average, there are 1,452 neonatal deaths in one day and 60 per hour in India

India 117th among 190 countries in empowering women

Even least developed countries like Rwanda, Lesotho fared better than India

We don’t know how many mountain gorillas live in the wild. Here’s why

A new census — carried out by the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (a coalition of governments, non-profits and conservationists) in 2018 — shows that the population of mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is now at 459, up from 400 in 2011. This could bring the total number count for the subspecies to 1,069 gorillas. …

Air pollution from brake dust may be as harmful as diesel exhaust on immune cells: New study

Show your account books, Delhi HC asks Centre on rare disease 'burden'

Statement after Centre said assigning funds more than Rs 15 lakh as financial assistance for rare diseases’ patients would be a big financial burden

Only 2 passengers aboard Odisha’s new Balangir-Bichhupali train: RTI

Balangir-Bichhupali track is part of Khurda-Balangir line and was inaugurated in January 2019

How India remains poor: Has poverty become ‘hereditary’

Millions of Indian households transfer poverty to the next generation, making poverty eradication nearly impossible

AMR, flu pandemic again top WHO’s list of health challenges for 2020

UN body also lists newer challenges related to adolescents, emerging technologies and food among others

Small incentive, big draw: How an officer makes PDS work

Jyoti Kakwani plugs pilferage in fair price shops by giving surprise gifts to those who demand receipts from the shopkeeper

In the future there will be more rain, but less water, in the Nile Basin

About 250 million people are reliant on the Nile’s waters in Ethiopia, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt

A step towards a drug for schizophrenia like diseases

Researchers at the Department of Biotechnology’s Pune-based National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) have captured three-dimensional views of a protein called GluD1 receptor