Environment ministry rapped

Parliament committee says serious inadequacies in afforestation, biodiversity programmes

India Organics Inc

The Indian farmer is 'naturally' organic. But without support and premium for 'green' crops, there is no alternative but to take the chemical route

"Subsidy culture has killed local agriculture"

Thupstan Chhewang, Chief Executive Councillor and chairperson of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) speaks to Down To Earth.

Ladakh on the move

Ladakh is the one region in India where sustainable development is the only way ahead. Dry toilets, water efficient crops, cooperative farming, a …

Nagpur has 200 bird species, reveals bird-spotting exercise

60 to 65 of the species were found in MIHAN-SEZ area earmarked for industrial development

‘Disasters like Ebola threaten Africa’s progress towards MDGs’

Report launched at the ninth African Economic Conference says the continent made headway in human development but its continuation is threatened …

Untapped Potential

Lack of lagislation and certification undermines the potential of organic farming in India

‘Policies will infuse objectivity in health research’

Several health and research policies in the country are either in draft stage or just recommendatory in nature. This hampers regulation of …

Who are the poor?

Identifying the poor and measuring the poverty is a contentious issue. Poverty line is not a sacred line. At best, it indicates how far the …

Poverty level will increase if health expenditure included

Planning Commission factors in less than one rupee a day as health expenditure in its affidavit to the apex court

Jungle raj

CAG memo shows IFS officers are administering country’s premier forestry research body like a fiefdom

Inclusive budget for inclusive growth

Budgets should not just talk about GDP and sops. It should ensure that basic rights and necessities of people are met in an effective manner

MPs funds to now be used to develop over 2,000 ‘model’ villages

Ministry of rural development will channelise MPs’ funds through different schemes for Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana

MDG Report 2014: India among worst performers in poverty reduction, maternal death and sanitation

Report shows good progress in areas like poverty alleviation and access to clean water and controlling diseases like TB, Malaria

Is Bt cotton a success or failure?

Participants attending conference to review Bt cotton call for extensive investigation into all aspects of cotton production before drawing …

Books on rails

In Mexico City, run by the leftist Democratic Revolutionary party, a huge and unique campaign has begun to promote literacy and provide an "…

'We must teach science in a more hands-on manner'

A professor in the department of chemistry, Delhi University, K V Sane has been instrumental in organising and directing a project on locally-…

Mother of all management

THE UNION minister for human resource development's election-eve decision to slash Indian Institute of Management (IIM) fees by a third has …

Elementary failure

Since the Right To Education Act came into force on April 1, 2010, India has been witnessing an experiment that involves parents in enforcing a …

Desperately seeking experts

The environmental situation in India is grave -- our natural resources are getting depleted at an alarming rate and there is an acute paucity of …

The water bearer

ANNA HAZARE bids a heavy-hearted farewell to the late Vilasrao Salunkhe, better known as 'pani baba'. Salunkhe's revolutionary concept of '…

Medical education in India does not address larger social needs for health care

Medical education is in the news for all the wrong reasons. The government's decision to extend reservations in institutions of higher education …

Blow to anti-AIDS campaign as condom turns taboo subject

The paanwallah-doubling-up-as-a-condom-vendor ad has been taken off the air. Instead, Doordarshan will show a village council member warning …

Murder mystery in Bihar

The killing of two social activists has left behind a series of unanswered questions. On the evening of January 24 social activists Sarita and …

Umbilical Discord

An estimated 8,000 babies are born with neural defects every year in Rajasthan. Most of them die within a few months of birth. They are lucky. …