Addressing the Threat of Zoonoses Requires Moving Beyond Biological Lenses
It needs deepening the perspective of One Health to include social and political analysis and treating zoonotic outbreaks as socio-ecological crises that demand structural solutions
Why are forest villages in Madhya Pradesh still under the control of the Forest Department eight decades after independence? [Commentary]
Even after independence, many forest villages did not become revenue villages, giving their inhabitants limited rights in land ownership, bank loans, government schemes, and local self-governance. The Forest Rights Act, 2006, provides for the conversion of forest villages into revenue villages, but the process has been slow and controversial in Madhya Pradesh. The recent SOP […]
Under Pressure: A Voyage into Vast Vembanad Lake
I was sitting on a boat enjoying the allure of Kerala’s monsoon, which I had previously only known through films and reels. As the romance of the land touched me, I reminded myself that my journey here was not just to experience beauty, but to understand it. I had joined the 18th edition of the […]
A bird call that signals rains [Commentary]
The piece reflects on ecological knowledge, seasonal indicators, and the relationship between bird calls and changing rainfall patterns in the Himalaya.
Overlooked urban springs can strengthen water security in Himalayan cities [Commentary]
During Gangtok’s water crisis, springs continued to supply households, acting as a reliable water source alongside centralised water infrastructure. Most springs remain accessible common resources, protected through local practices, shared use, and strong cultural and religious connections. Protecting recharge zones, implementing springtide management, and formally incorporating springs into municipal water governance can strengthen climate resilience […]
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.
