No way out
Officials are now promoting a new paradigm for flood control. They are pushing for a huge dam in Nepal. Does it provide scope for further …
State of despair
Criminals followed corrupt politicians into grabbing contracts related to earthworks. Today, they fund political parties and virtually run the …
The shifting sands
At first the rivers and the people were both unfettered. Then the politicians came between them
On windy shores
Since the 1950s and 60s, India's efforts to tap wind energy have seen many ups and downs. The mid-1990s saw a boom, with Tamil Nadu taking the …
Scheduled abuse
A Union government proposal to amend the Fifth Schedule of the Indian constitution not only sidesteps an earlier SC order, but also threatens to …
A Ray of Hope
At least 80 per cent of solid waste generated by the Dal Lake dwellers is being disposed off safely due to the efforts of hope
A billion strong or weak?
Recently, India crossed the one-billion population mark. The question on everyone's lips is what does the future hold for babies born this …
Profit at any cost
The US drug companies want to maintain its monopoly over drug pricing -- a move that will delay the production of cheaper drugs
Misdirected move
The Orissa government's decision to increase water cess for irrigation may spell doom for the state's farmers
Coma after death
Child victims of a frayed medical service and a government programme gone wrong raise a mute question
Betrayed
Nepal's forest bureaucracy prepares for the funeral of the much-hailed community forest management programme
Bitten by the betel
Paan is the delicacy among all communities in India. Its cultivation and propagation will serve to strengthen not just the various rituals …
Uttaranchal aglow
Hill state leads the way in decentralising electricity generation by granting small-scale industry status to traditional water mills
Virtual realities
Bangalore is in the throes of a water privatisation debate. But the most critical flaws in a new plan for its suburbs have got missed out. s …
Nagorno-Karabakh brings back painful memories of 1915 for Armenians globally: Avedis Hadjian
Down To Earth speaks to author Avedis Hadjian about the humanitarian crisis in the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus
Lok Sabha passes Women’s Reservation Bill with two-thirds majority
Opposition leaders have flagged concerns about the timing of the bill’s passage as well as its eventual transition to the status of law
Sustainable tourism needs to be built with the help of locals
It is not about managing a destination, but a community with permanent residents and tourists, the latter being understood as temporary residents
There is a big discord between the past as it was and as it is constructed in the history of a nation: GN Devy
Down To Earth speaks to scholar, linguist and activist about his latest book on the ‘histories’ of Indians
Urban Menace: Down To Earth’s cover story on dogs, monkeys and pigeons in Indian cities
An in-depth look into why the populations of these animals are becoming unmanageable in urban landscapes
Manipur deserves & needs proper sociological understanding
Absence of a good census allows politicians to exploit aspirations, hopes, sentiments, language traditions and social identities of people in Manipur
Who is an actual “Sikkimese”?
The Supreme Court judgement of January 13 this year continues to cause ripples across Sikkim. Here is what it is all about
Dying for ration: A DTE series on ration card beneficiaries
Down To Earth highlighted families who were unable to receive benefits of ration cards due to glitches in the system
Unprecedented protests sweep through China as government imposes fresh lockdowns
While China has seen farm and labour protests in the past, this time it is unique because people across communities are uniting against COVID-19 …
From snake charmers to agricultural labourers: A case of Haryana’s Saperas
They still carry the stigma of being a de-notified tribe; also, the law prohibits the catching of snakes now, they say
Why the data block?
India does not know how many people are poor or who they are; no consumer expenditure survey has been done in the last decade. We also do not …