‘My method’s an addition to the knowledge about climate change ending the Indus Valley Civilisation’

Down To Earth speaks to Nishant Malik from the Rochester Institute of Technology, United States about the new method he has developed to show …

The declining infant mortality rate indicates that our growth rate will decline further

Amulya Ratna Nanda, registrar-general and census commissioner of India, feels the country has made some progress in bringing down its growth rate

`Ancient Indian literature displays exact knowledge of environmental phenomena'

Retired diplomat and well-known translator of ancient Sanskrit texts, Aditya Narayan Dhairyasheel Haksar recently released the reprint of his …

“Aboriginal people in Australia still do not have right over their land”

Poet and writer ALI COBBY ECKERMANN was in India recently to launch her memoir, Too Afraid To Cry. The book is an account of her growing up as a …

`Eating chicken is like taking a course of antibiotics'

Devi Shetty, cardiac surgeon and founder of Narayana Health, has seen increasing cases of antibiotic resistance at his hospital. Even those who …

'Odisha's waterman'

Ranjan Panda of Water Initiative Odisha, is a researcher, environmentalist and activist. He describes the threats to rivers and water bodies of Odisha

‘Independent India worse for tribals’

Widely respected in the civil society, B D Sharma spent his life fighting for the rights of tribals for about four decades. Excerpts from a …

‘My mentor Laurie Baker’

BENNY KURIAKOSE began his architecture career in 1984. He was one of the privileged few who worked under the tutelage of Laurie Baker which …

Mithi is a river, not real estate

Jagdish Gandhi wears many hats. A historian writing a book on Mumbai’s colonial past, he was among those responsible for restoring the …

‘Hudhud may develop into a very severe cyclonic storm’

Mahesh Palawat, chief meteorologist at Skymet, a private weather forecast agency, speaks to Kanika Kumria on how Hudhud developed, its likely …

‘Need balanced criteria to judge backwardness’

Following Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s campaign for special status for Bihar, a panel of six experts chosen by the Union Finance Ministry …

‘BRAI will benefit both private and public sectors’

Introduction of the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill has brought cheers to the agri-biotechnology industry that was facing …

It’s a demographic disaster

Bluntness marks Ashish Bose who has destroyed more myths about India’s development and population growth than anyone else. No government, …

'We will work to free Delhi of pollution and improve civic amenities'

After a fortnight of uncertainty that followed assembly-election results in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party is finally set to form the government. …

Organic goes online

India’s organic food exports have found a new strength—online traceability. Web-based TraceNet can trace an organic product right …

‘South-East Asia must remain polio-free after certification’

Poonam Khetrapal Singh became the first woman to assume the office of WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia on February 1, 2014. Her priority …

Village protesting Kundankulam bans poll campaigning by any party

S P Udayakumar, coordinator of Peoples’ Movement Against Nuclear Energy, has been spearheading protests against the Kudankulam Nuclear …

'It is strange that government promotes products which directly cause cancer'

Pankaj Chaturvedi, associate professor and head and neck cancer surgeon at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, was recently honoured with the Judy …

Linkage between science and public policy has weakened

M S Swaminathan, popularly known as the father of India’s Green Revolution, has been associated with national agricultural research system (…

‘Watershed conservation can benefit 700 million people in 100 big cities’

Indian cities are struggling to fight water stress. Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Jodhpur are going to areas located far away to source …

Southeast US will bear the worst of this year’s winter, says AccuWeather

This US-based independent weather agency set off gasps of dread and many counter-forecasts last week when it indicated “the return” …

‘Scale of disaster would depend on where Phailin hits’

M R Ramesh Kumar from National Institute of Oceanography on Phailin and the cyclone vulnerability of Bay of Bengal

Boost for global polio eradication campaign

India's triumph can help other polio-endemic countries understand how to deal with the challenge, Deepak Kapur, chairperson of Rotary’s …

‘People often talk of the Gandhian model of development, but if such a model is genuinely Gandhian then it is not about development’

Mahatma Gandhi never used the words environment protection. However what he said and did makes him an environmentalist. His writings are replete …

Bill will push PDS reform

Development economist JEAN DREZE, known for his work on issues such as hunger, famine, social and human development in India, child health and …