The extent of India’s energy poverty

More than 80 million households in India lack access to electricity; about 75 million of these are in rural areas

Recycling of e-waste in India and its potential

Since India is highly deficient in precious mineral resources while untreated e-waste goes to landfill, there is need for a well designed, …

E-waste: How should India defuse a ticking time bomb?

Safe disposal practices, consumer awareness and cooperation between organised and unorganised sectors is needed to solve the issue

Bihar’s earthquake toll due to poor condition of houses

Census data shows Bihar among the three states with lowest proportion of houses which can be categorised ‘good’

Non-binary genders need more visibility in India’s Census 2021

Separating sex and gender in the country’s biggest socioeconomic survey is imperative

Cancer rises in the Northeast

Report of Indian Council of Medical Research shows Aizawl district in Mizoram has the highest incidence of cancer

Sarna Dharam Code: Of Adivasi identity and eco-nationalism

Down To Earth speaks to experts on Adivasi culture about the recent resolution passed by the Jharkhand Assembly, asking for a separate religion …

KINFRA tried to manipulate its way around CRZ rules, but failed: CAG

The Kerala state body tried to change the status of the land it acquired for a marine park near Kozhikode as it was 50 metres away from the seashore

Control and delete: Lack of data updating has left millions of poor Indians hungry; here is how

The government’s reliance on decade-old data due to a delay in census has resulted in exclusion of millions from the safety net of the …

Junk food vs samosa

Why Indian traditional food items and snacks score over a pack of chips or instant noodles even if they have similar levels of fats, salt and sugar

Union Carbide refuses more compensation to Bhopal gas leak victims

Affidavit moved in Supreme Court demands return of earlier settlement with interest for curative action

Simply put: The budget amid a pandemic

Down To Earth’s cartoonist Sorit Gupto analyses the budget for the next financial year through his cartoons

Haryana's sex ratio success a result of behavioural change or fudged data?

The state's achievement comes at a time the Census’ Sample Registration System survey paints a grim picture for the country

Why we need a coastal zone protection act

If regulations listed in the CRZ Notification are implemented properly, coastal zones and fragile ecosystems can be safeguarded

Economics of population

The 15th Finance Commission has recommended the use of Census 2011 instead of the norm of considering Census 1971, and this change has led to …

India's only coastal protection system is being overhauled for economic interests

The recently released Draft Coastal Regulatory Zone, 2018, intends to replace the existing framework and further dilutes regulatory mechanisms …

Govt's reason for CRZ amendments: 'See and enjoy beauty of mighty seas'

The contentious new Coastal Regulation Zone notification gives precedence to economic developments over saving fragile ecosystems

NFHS-5: No, women don’t outnumber men in India just yet. Here is why

NFHS counts only certain women, who belong to specific demographic categories. There is a bias in it, say experts

Sailesh Nayak Committee report on coastal zone regulations released 18 months after submission

The report recommends several relaxations in a previous notification, aimed at boosting tourism and real estate

Why India is unwilling to discuss forests at international fora

India’s recent spate of objections indicates an unwillingness to engage with issues related to forests and climate change, explained in …

How Fukushima nuclear disaster affected monkeys

Macaques in Fukushima region found are low white and red blood cell levels and high on radioactive caesium, says study

UK may ban junk food ads, should India follow?

Since India lacks regulatory framework for promotion of foods items containing high fat, salt and sugar, experts feel a similar step could prove …

New CRZ rules clear coast for realtors, may trigger disaster

The government put the Indian coastline at risk by not hearing stakeholders and deciding to open it for real estate industry

Recycling the bin

Several initiatives are demonstrating how the informal e-waste recycling sector can be formalised

'High GDP states have grown at the cost of the environment'

North-eastern states and Himachal Pradesh score high on environmental sustainability index, says report by Chennai non-profit