Population populism: How redundant is UP’s two-child policy?

The recent UP Population Policy aims to reduce the state’s current total fertility rate, which is 2.7, and bring it down to 2.1 

2022 too short, too far: How food systems evolved for the hungry

Down To Earth recaps the primary environment, health and developmental news from 2022

UN Committee for World Food Security endorses voluntary guidelines to end hunger

The guidelines will contribute to realisation of global goals on  hunger and nutrition even as more than 3 billion people do not have access …

Coronavirus outbreak: A new mapping tool that lets you scroll through timeline

To provide a clearer picture of an evolving story, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has developed a new outbreak-…

Access to midwives could annually save 1.2 million lives in East and Southern Africa by 2035

Achievements depend on midwives gaining better education and training

Coronavirus update: Finance minister announces special package

Food and cash transfer announced under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana

India’s ‘missing’ forests: DTE analysis exposes big gap in latest national forest survey estimates

According to a DTE analysis, there are states where over 30-50 per cent of the land classified as forests is ‘missing’ from the …

World Cities Day: How humans and robots can co-exist in cities

Robots are taking on more tasks in the world’s cities but create more challenges for policymakers

Can adulteration of edible oils be addressed by the Goonda Act?

Madras HC recently called for classifying those who adulterate food as goons; but we need long-term solutions

Biden, Keystone XL and a Green New Deal could shake up Canada’s energy industry

Biden’s comments emphasise the need to transition away from fossil fuels, echoing calls for a Green New Deal

COVID19: Green stimulus should step in to counter oil price crash

There is no inevitable link between oil prices and carbon emissions, a lot depends on responsible policy  

Rajasthan’s Right To Health Bill lacks teeth, say experts

Implementation timeframe, process missing from document

IPBES9 assessment reports: Conservation vs use vs sustainable use?

Global body grapples with the question of how biodiversity can be used sustainably and ensuring social justice  

Invasive alien species in focus at 10th plenary of IPBES

Report on invasive species & their control to be approved at the plenary was developed over four years by 86 leading experts from 49 countries

Draft amendment to Forest Conservation Act may dilute protection to forests

The proposed draft, accessed by Down to Earth, may grant exemptions to railways, roads, tree plantations, oil exploration, wildlife …

Experts welcome Delhi government’s electric vehicle policy

The policy aims to make a quarter of all new vehicle registrations battery-operated by 2024

COVID-19: A long economic quarantine

Forecast of high temperature, erratic rains and cyclone push India’s poor into a point of no survival return  

Match migrants’ skills with needs of ageing countries to drive global growth: World Bank report

Populations across the globe ageing at an unprecedented pace, global competition for workers and talent to intensify

IFR review: Madhya Pradesh’s Van Mitra portal a tool to re-reject forest right claims, RTI data shows

Official machinery rejects claims without the knowledge of the Gram Sabha or the Forest Rights Committee

Conclave on compressed biogas underlines future energy potential

The conference, organised by IOCL, was aimed at attracting entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu to invest in the technology  

Why experts want govt to withdraw draft Electricity Bill

Experts question urgency of introducing a draft bill at a time when states struggle with COVID-19 

Launch of State of India’s Environment 2023: In Figures — what to expect & how to register

The e-book will be released in an online event at 12 noon on June 4, 2023

COVID effect: Pendency of cases in district courts went up by 13% in 2020, finds think tank

Disposal of cases saw a decrease of 42.33%; case filings went down 32%

As told to Parliament (February 11, 2022): 4GW rooftop solar target for residential sector

All that was discussed in the House through the day

0.85 million viruses in birds and mammals can infect people: IPBES paper

Land use change is prime trigger for COVID-19 pandemic and responsible for 30 per cent of new diseases since 1960, it adds