The unaccounted wealth that leaves our shores

The Indian government invests Rs 34 lakh to educate each IIT graduate. It therefore has the moral authority to get him or her to work for the …

Imparting environmental education

What is the best approach to instil in the minds of students a lifelong respect for the environment?

People are not the planet's pollutants

The consumerist tendency of our society has resulted in the branding of population explosion as the villain in a world that has place for everyone'…

Education must boost unity, end superstition

Learning in the present social context should lay more stress on inculcating social and ethical values that would bring Indians closer to each other.

Defining environment stories

In the Western approach to stories on the environment, topics are wrapped in neat packages: from rainforests to big dams. But writing on rural …

Early education is the key to reducing birth rate

Every rupee invested on four years of primary education for girls would yield returns worth Rs 10 of investment on advertising contraceptive …

What a bad idea, Sirji!

Menageries with messages

Zoos have evolved from being mere sources of entertainment to educational centres.

Dancing to the World Bank's tune

The World Bank, which is the largest lender of aid to the Third World, is casting its shadow on decisions made by the Indian Union ministry of …

Not a matter of religion

Children of the earth, worshippers of nature

Rigoberta Menchu, a Guatemalan human rights activist and peasant leader, was awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Menchu was witness to the …

ABC of environment education

The North's experiences in environment education are not useful for the South

Grasping the roots

Environmental literature plays an important role in moulding innocent minds to think and understand green.

A question of ethics

What does a doctor do when confronted with an hiv -positive case

The greening of young minds

Environment education cannot be confined to plants and animals or even conservation; its aim must be to open to children the interconnectedness …

Drumming it in

Should local communities pay for Western notions of 'global benefit'?

Focus not on graft

Corruption is not just the kind that has found recent media attention

Building a work environment: Siemens' approach

Poverty alleviation: investment or mere sop?

After successive reductions, can increased allocations for rural development, agriculture, education and health be effective?

Sensitive economics

Anil Agarwal's article, "The poverty of Amartya Sen", publised in the December 15, 1999 issue of Down To Earth , has drawn a number of …

Modi’s burden of civilising rural India

Our prime minister’s recognition of ‘uncivilised’ state of rural India means he should be spending more on ‘civilising&…

Our country, our mess

How's India doing in providing basic social services?

Wooden feet

A complement, not a substitute

Cash transfer is effective only if basic services are in place

Looking ahead

A brief outline of the challenges of sustainable development in India