Dyeing cotton fabrics is an ancient Indian art

Indian textiles formed an important item in the trade network, the major thrust being on cotton fabrics in vibrant kalamkari patterns. Mastery …

Don't bite that apple!

The government's plans for boosting horticulture to earn foreign exchange do not take into account the hidden costs of deforestation, fertiliser …

Outstanding grain

The aromatic enigma makes basmati a clear winner among grains. The lack of knowledge of what traditional basmati is and an inability to take …

The Ice Story

Amit Shanker talks about a random photograph that helped him reveal how Americans kept British cool.

Guar mine

Farmers in Rajasthan make big bucks as shale gas rush boosts demand for little-known cluster bean

Two leaves and a bud

Chirala saree weavers losing out to computer-aided designs

Shrimp does not pay

Lac grows on plant

Scientists find a way to cultivate lac that is less labourintensive and more profitable

Developing countries are dumpyards for e-waste

A recent study in the US shows that by 2004, over 315 million computers will become obsolete. By 2005, for every single computer an American buys,…

Fall of the paragon

Century-old teak plantation business loses ground in India because of poor management and short-sighted policies

Looking for the right bait

Developing countries like India need to be prepared for multilateral negotiations. This is certainly true of the fishing economy

Toxicitea tangle

Safeguards have been erected to weed out the supplies of tea laden with high pesticide residue levels. But when governments use these benchmarks …

Granite greed

Frenzied quarrying destroys livelihoods and environment in Karimnagar

No climate for cleantech

Most of the clean energy innovations are with just six rich countries and hardly any technology is coming to developing nations

Too cut & dried

Does the style of conserving forests currently dominant in India require an overhaul? Yes, say state governments and affected people. ruksan …

Growing organic tea in northeast India is a difficult task

Making money through herbs in Himachal

Medicinal plants can improve the fortunes of state's rural poor

Up for scrutiny

Environment ministry sets up certification scheme for its forests

Crisis brewing

Collapse of the former Soviet market and an indifferent attitude to quality clips Nilgiris tea industry

World Trade Outcry

How inevitable was the collapse of talks at the World Trade Organization? How engineered was it? CLIFFORD POLYCARP reports from the streets and …

Cockpit

In early December 2007, the country prided itself on providing the world with a road map to check the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5NI.…

The Avon lady lifts our biodiversity

Loopholes in the Biological Diversity Act being used to export India’s genetic material

Trade barred

Countries protect their renewable energy equipment. Exporting nations see it as trade barrier  

Organic Universe

Organic is all the rage. Organic food, cosmetics, clothes and even organic medicines. But mostly it is food. There are speciality stores that …