The State's non-bureaucratic role of encouraging the people

Indian rulers rarely built water harvesting structures themselves. They, however, encouraged their subjects to build them through fiscal …

Diverse technologies: a treasure trove

Our traditional water harvesting structures demonstrate the people's ingenuity at its best. Using unique modes and basic engineering skills, …

Hunting for the snark

Problems in conservation of sacred groves first have to be identified. The solution lies in measures that involve and encourage local people

A mythical tragedy

At the root of the tragedy of commons lies not the inherent selfishness of people, but the imposition of practices and projects alien to the …

"Biodiversity treaty is misleading the Third World"

A known a crusader for traditional Indian medicine. P Pushpangadan, who completed his Ph.D from Aligarh University, is currently the director of …

A touch of poison

Amrita Singh discovers culinary versatility of a potentially poisonous weed

Bundled in a sacred basket

Tribal farmers in Jharkhand use mora made of rice straw to store grains

Bite into bitters

Maharashtra tribals’ way of warding off monsoon maladies

Curing our medical vision

Making science of mumbo-jumbo

Scientists compile India's ethnic knowledge. They find a veritable gold-mine

Moses of Longleng

How the efforts of an individual brought prosperity to a remote town in the Northeast

Digital medical library

Herbal remedies

A new venture makes a foray into the world herbal market

Growing killer

As the menace of AIDS spreads in India, there is an interest in traditional cures

Trends in high places

Traditional timber-and-slate houses vs a neo-concrete nightmare in a Himachal village

Home remedies

Right from the backyard

Written word protects

Registers can help preserve the traditional knowledge of India's healers

Why we need to listen to hunters

Biologists have often used the hunter's knowledge for wildlife studies. But strict laws have silenced their voice

Weed on my plate

Tribals of central India vouch for the taste and health benefits of neglected wild vegetables

Forgotten healers

Traditional medicine system has time and again proved its worth. Then why the cold shoulder?

Water strongholds

Chittor and Ranthambhore. Proud traditions of valour, chivalry and patriotism are complemented by one of common sense in the storage and use of …

Ayurvedic cure

A proposal to set up ayurvedic centres in hospitals across the country to treat cancer patients is on the anvil

Traditional wisdom

Researchers in Gujarat use rural expertise to predict weather when modern methods fail to make accurate forecast

When minds meet

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Taste for tradition

Home delivery services are taking traditional food everywhere. And the market is catching up too