Sagara Science Forum: Where science sparks beyond the syllabus
Through hands-on camps and interactive sessions, the Sagara Science Forum is challenging rote learning and inspiring students to engage with science in new ways, writes Seshadri K S
India’s farms do ecological work that no policy has accounted [Commentary]
India’s agricultural price support system, built during the Green Revolution to maximise grain output, has never recognised the ecological functions that farms perform. Guaranteed procurement prices and subsidised inputs have kept much of North India in rice-wheat cycles. These cycles reduce soil organic matter, drain aquifers, and simplify the biological communities that help control pests […]
The case against Great Nicobar’s big bang plan
Island on Edge: The Great Nicobar Crisis brings together a set of essays and articles, many of which were originally published in Frontline. Taken together, they form a deeply troubling account of a suite of large-scale development projects proposed for Great Nicobar Island: a transshipment port, a greenfield international airport, power infrastructure, and an associated township. These are […]
When Biodiversity Science Speaks to Business, WHO Speaks for the Forest and the Sea?
The IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment is a landmark document. But its governance architecture quietly places the communities that generate biodiversity knowledge outside the room where decisions are made
Before the toast: The wild story of avocado
Avocados hold many stories, some of them untold despite all the craze surrounding it. The global love for this buttery fruit is impressive, but even more mesmerising is its long and complex journey — a saga of pollination and historical mysteries of dispersal that shaped the avocado tree into the fruit we relish today.
Getting More Bang For The Buck
The overnight rain had washed everything clean. At daybreak, eight of us, in two cars, drove out of Bengaluru, in search of a mammal that none of us had seen. It was July 2007. We had a hand-drawn map of how to reach the site. All was well until we missed a turn and ended […]
Scarcity amidst Plenty: The Story of a Spring in Rinchenpong
from afar, Sikkim seems wrapped in abundance. A land of clear streams, cascading waterfalls, and endless freshwater flowing through its hills. Every slope appears to hold a hidden spring; every spring seems to promise water. It feels almost impossible to imagine that scarcity could exist in such a landscape.
An Ecologist’s Diary: Exploring the Wild Heart of Uttara Kannada
Coastal Uttara Kannada is more than just one ecosystem; many habitats are nestled within this relatively densely populated region of the district. Just two days earlier, I wandered along a rickety wooden boardwalk in Honnavar, journeying deep into the dense mangrove forests that guard the coastline.
Preventing water contamination: How citizen data and chlorine monitoring can save lives
In Indore, sewage leaks and intermittent water supply increase contamination risks. Maintaining residual chlorine in pipelines can avert crises across cities.
Avoiding the Trap of Predatory Journals
In academia, publications are the primary currency for advancement. Whether it is a PhD student or a tenured professor, everyone plays the ‘publish or perish’ game. Publication is the logical culmination of the scientific research method. Publications close the loop from data collection and analysis to public contribution.
