Six of 9 planetary boundaries have been breached because of human activities: Study

This does not imply immediate disaster but raises the risk of setting processes in motion that will likely irreversibly change overall …

Earth may have been covered by global ocean 3 bn yrs ago: Scientists

The findings could help understand how single-cell organisms first emerged on Earth, according to scientists  

India can’t be malnutrition-free by 2022: DTE’s annual report

The government’s Poshan Abhiyaan’s implementation is poor and targets are unambitious, according to the State of India’s …

Have human-made changes heralded a new epoch?

Experts have proposed that the new epoch—Anthropocene—began around 1950, when human-induced changes started affecting earth's geology

Water, water, everywhere—where to drink in the solar system

Ice is everywhere in the solar system and there may even be liquid water beneath the surface of a number of planets. But could we ever get to it?

Will Parliament pass controversial land and mining bills?

As opposition parties join hands in Parliament against the Modi government's land bill, a perspective on what gave rise to land conflicts in India.…

Changing landscape

Land devoted to non-agricultural use has increased three-fold since Independence. It is set to increase further and faster, according to this …

Understanding climate change

Did climate change begin with industrialisation? How do we identify ‘bad’ climate change?

Waste quandary

A waste management expert voices his concerns about our misguided and selective approach to cleanliness

Living with asthma in Delhi

Kaushik Das Gupta, one of the participants in the CSE study, wonders if the government will ever announce a ‘clean air package’ for …

Odisha bans sterilisation camps after reports of use of bicycle pump in surgery

On November 8 in Chhattisgarh’s Takhatpur block of Bilaspur district  

US approves better sunscreens to reduce cases of skin cancer

In Europe, ingredients are regulated as cosmetics, but in the US, sunscreens go through a process similar to drug approval, says news report

India’s role in increasing access to HCV drugs

Early intervention by the Indian government and civil society will be essential to overcome patent barriers to ensure that the new drugs …

Police begins probe into Mahan dispute on high court order

Residents of Amelia village say their signatures were forged to show they had given consent to mining project of Hindalco and Essar

Coal mess in Maharashtra

While state agencies fight over the quality of coal supplied to Maharashtra's coal-fired power plants, it is the people who are suffering for no …

Low-income African countries awarded funding for renewable energy projects

Criteria used for selection include low energy access rates, energy development strategies, governance and implementation capacity

When trains ran on time

We live in times where the personalities of strong leaders loom large over their foibles, let alone excesses. Are present times a throwback to …

'Development goals in BRICS should include universal health coverage'

Non-communicable diseases, traffic injuries, environmental health are among other health challenges for BRICS nations, says WHO

Five developments that may define 2014 elections

From influence of civil society to 12 crore first time voters joining the lists, these developments are likely to govern the public verdict on …

Chromosomal change in democracy

Out of India’s total voters, 49 per cent are women. They may not have proportional representation in legislative bodies, but they are …

Where is the green party?

Whenever a general election to India’s Lok Sabha approaches, two questions tend to emerge: When will India get a green party? Are …

Island of tsunami debris heading towards US? No, says NOAA

Media reports suggested 'toxic monster’, ‘Texas-sized debris’, resulting from the tsunami that hit Japan in 2011 may reach US shores

Joker in the pack of stars

Book>> Gravity’s engines: The other side of black holes • by Caleb A Scharf • Allen Lane • Rs 1,800

And miles to go before we meet

The North-South divide is not a fabrication: for three-fourths of the world, it is a fact of daily existence. Ignoring it will not make it …

All for the people

International organisations concentrating on the moral and material uplift of the underpriviledged