The wasteland

Bellary has lost 45 per cent of its forest cover to iron ore mining, says the CEC report

Picture imperfect

Fertile and picturesque, that is what Bellary was before companies started indiscriminate mining for iron ore  

Persistent in folly

Rice and wheat fetch a secure price and subsidies on farm inputs. Coarse grains have no place in the public distribution system, although their …

Rice: the real cost

It is said the future wars would be fought over the issue of water, not land. Yet Indian government promotes rice, which consumes water, over …

Cereal killer

By promotong rice over coarse grains, the government is promoting food scarcity and defeciency of micronutrients among India's most malnourished …

Whither freedom?

Post independence, governments expanded squeezing village republics out of existence

THE FOUNTAINHEAD DONGRIPARA, DHAMTARI DISTRICT, CHATTISGARH

Spark came from non-recognition as a village • Integrated management of forest and water • Sees self-governance as a matter of …

A memo to the government

To be a truly participatory republic, India must take tutorials from these tiny republics

In Birsa's Land: Horomocho (Hazaribagh, Jharkhand)

A coal mine to own and manage • Sustainability not profit as a principle • Revival of an ancient Santhal system of governance

Unshakable: Nimalapedu (Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh)

Reminded India of its constitutional mandate for village autonomy • Fought bauxite companies for not getting gram sabha consent • Has …

A Republican Paradise: Mendha (Gadchirolli, Maharashtra)

Defied the Forest Act ÔÇó Every resident contributes part of annual income for community works ÔÇó If somebody bribes a …

Diabetes plan staggers

National programme to combat the disease is inadequate  

Breather for wind firms

They must accurately forecast contribution to grid from 2012

Bangalore-Mysore corridor leads nowhere

Plague is spreading to new areas

States fined thousands of crores over waste — but how did NGT calculate the penalty amount?

Fine determined on polluter pays principle, equated to environmental compensation and cost of restoration

Court stays proposed amendments to solid waste management rules

Petition before Karnataka High Court says amendments mooted by environment ministry are regressive, promote waste incineration

Karnataka polls: Bellary goes to mining barons

Winners Anil Lad of Congress and Anand Singh of BJP are mine owners. Reddy brothers' associate Sriramulu also wins

Karnataka High Court issues notice to National Biodiversity Authority on charges of paving way for biopiracy

Petition by a non-profit accuses authority of callousness towards protecting the country's biodiversity

Infosys to switch to renewable energy, go carbon neutral

The global information technology services company, Infosys, headquartered at Bengaluru, plans to become carbon neutral and shift completely to …

Grain of truth

India's public distribution system promotes rice and wheat. These water-intensive crops require more inputs and are less nutritious as compared …

Whose germplasm is it?

NBA struggles to frame case against Mahyco in first biopiracy case

Pentavalent vaccine approved in five more states. Health ministry brushes aside safety concerns

Four children in Kerala reportedly died immediately after the vaccine was administered

Creation of Greater Bangalore will strain the city's resources

Oil in the well