Who is protected?
The Lok Sabha passed Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Bill with complete amendments on August 9, 2001, twenty months after it …
Time to act
The Madhya Pradesh government has recently sent a letter to the Prime Minister seeking changes in the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The …
Ublic outcry greets uranium mining project in AP
"There is radiation everywhere on earth. Mining in Nalgonda will not increase it." This comment of S D Prasad, adviser to public sector …
Forest states want money in lieu of felling
On August 1, 2003, Madhya Pradesh made a plea in the Supreme Court seeking a fund-generating mechanism for forest protection. Earlier, in June, …
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 …
THE SECOND INDEPENDENCE
Tiny forgotten villages teach India a firsthand lesson in governance. Down To Earth reporters and photographers fan out to six states to discover …
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 …
Move to leash NGOs
Government and political parties see NGOs with suspicion. Arm-twisting has already begun
‘Energy conservation is a moving target’
A decade has passed since the Energy Conservation Act was enacted in 2001. Most provisions of the law are yet to be implemented properly. Ajay …
First birthday
Although setting up of the EPA did result in policies to control pollution, political interference has blunted its effectiveness
Plastic Unlimited
New rules to restrict the use of plastic in India may end up promoting the polymer industry
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,…
Self-control for EU chemical industry
The regulations governing the European Union's chemical industry are set to undergo a drastic change, with special emphasis being laid on self-…
Endosulfan declared not guilty
Good news for the ever manipulative pesticide industry: the Dubey committee -- a panel of experts set up by the Registration Committee of the …
Pit bull attacks in South Africa — a historian sheds light on the issues
Breed specific legislation is being strongly pushed for currently, but history suggests it does not work
New Consumer Protection Bill promises a much wider scope
The establishment of the Central Consumer Protection Authority empowered to take action against defaulters is the most novel feature of the Bill
Victims of ‘growth’
Book>> A village awaits doomsday • Jaideep Hardikar • Rs 299 • Penguin Books
Death Inside The Factory Gates
Asbestos makes homes, but it also causes cancer. The "indestructible" substance is increasingly being cast aside by developed countries,…
Bioprates in the dragnet
Illegal smuggling of insects from the Himalaya comes into focus with the arrest of two Russians in Sikkim
Will he beat around the bush?
He may not have a clean environmental track record. But as president, George W Bush will have to tread carefully
Carry the burden
Of your waste, the government needs to tell the plastic industry. Other countries have done so. At times, to developing nations' detriment. …
COLANISATION'S DIRTY DOZEN
12 brands of cold drinks put to the test the coolest event of our times. They put to the test the most aggressive, glitzy, gutsy, premium, …