Celebration of life
In a first, a Bollywood commercial flick delves into a differently abled person's sexuality
Who will help her learn?
Merely providing schools is not enough to educate the more than 197.34 million illiterate women in India. Far too often, girls have to drop out …
Private militias
Book>> Community Warriors, State Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar by Ashwani Kumar Anthem Press Delhi 2008 Price Rs 450
Out of control: why monkeys are a menace
Damage by raiding monkeys has become a menace of unprecedented magnitude. Down To Earth travels to Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar …
EU conference tomorrow to give voice to indigenous people on protected areas
Comes against push by European Union, United Nations to turn 30% of world’s surface by 2030 into protected areas, which can make indigenous …
Indigenous islanders complain against Canberra over climate change
The residents of the islands located in the Torres Strait between Australia and New Guinea say the Australian government is not doing enough to …
'Australia must sign a treaty with its First People'
Aboriginal activist Lidia Thorpe says a treaty is the only way to bring closure to Australia, which is after all, a settler-colonial project
AIDS claimed 1 life every minute in 2022; 9.2 million patients sans HIV treatment: UNAIDS
While the number of AIDS-related deaths among children was reduced by 64% in 2010-2022, HIV still claimed the lives of approximately 84,000 children
Niyamgiri: 10 years since India’s first environmental referendum
Niyamgiri case today serves as textbook example of good usage of free, prior informed consent, without which asymmetry of power between …
Ownership Scheme: Why tribals are opposing drone surveys in Jharkhand
Property cards will be issued to villagers after drone surveys are carried out under the Ownership Scheme; but tribals oppose them citing …
Dilli’s dalchawal politics: The taste of power
The unabashed one-upmanship indulged by key players has made even the prospect of a joint activity a painful chore.
Global Eco Watch: Carcass of radio transmitter-fitted gharial found in Odisha
Down To Earth brings you the top happenings in the world of global ecology
Why India's poor laugh at anti-corruption campaigns
Indian anti-corruption drives don't factor in the poor, the worst victims of the scourge
Gond tribals, Madhya Pradesh government fight for 4000 hectares of land
Two government departments and landless people are locked in a legal battle over 4,000 ha in Madhya Pradesh whose outcome would have countrywide …
Water in northern Australia: a history of Aboriginal exclusion
Ever since British settlement, water rights in Australia's north have favoured landowners over traditional owners, effectively locking Aboriginal …
Killing blue bulls: are there alternatives?
Unless conservation area declared for protection has enough grazing field for herbivores and enough prey for predatory carnivores, straying will …
Elephant memories apart
Tania James offers an insight into the elephant's mind, while exploring the human-animal conflict through a range of narrative techniques
Night under a winter sky
As night falls in Delhi and mercury dips, Meeta Ahlawat ventures out with her camera to make a warm conversation with the homeless in the city. …
A flawed effort
Book>> Conservation by murder: Maneaters of Sundarbans • by Sudipt Dutta • 201 Quicksilver • Rs 499
Can the Grim Reaper wait, please?
A timeless dream: eternal youth, unblemished by illness. The search for the font of immortality has taken a late 20th century turn into what …
Slum voices
BOOK>> TRICKSTER CITY, WRITINGS FROM THE UNDERBELLY OF A METROPOLIS • translated by Shveta Sarda • Penguin • Rs 499
‘These are exciting times for Alzheimer’s research; but do not lose focus on prevention’: MV Padma Srivastava
Down To Earth speaks to MV Padma Srivastava, Head of Department of Neurology and the Chief of Neurosciences Centre at the All India Institute of …
Misreading the story of climate change and the Maya
Maya communities’ ability to adapt their resource conservation practices played a crucial role in allowing them to survive for as long as …
Zimbabwe's cheetah population declines by 85%
Historically, Zimbabwe and other regions in Africa have inhabited large cheetah populations
What do animal rights have to do with human wellbeing? Everything
Animal rights are important because all animals have inherent worth and because human rights and a healthy planet matter