The spirit of a public hearing must be respected, says a recent verdict from the Delhi High Court, refusing to accept the literal interpretations of the rules which the environment appellate authority used. Kanchi Kohli reports.

Many of the conditions under which the Narmada dams were erected remain unfulfilled, but this does not deter the government from pushing for further construction. Shripad Dharmadhikary reports.

Gold mining wreaks havoc on the environment and humans alike, but some precautionary measures and fair practices can help minimize the damage. Mahazareen Dastur concludes this two-part series.

Extracting enough gold to forge a wedding band leaves behind at least 20-30 tons of waste and environmental devastation. Mahazareen Dastur writes about the costs of gold mining in the first of a two-part series.

It is one thing to decide in a court of law that the floodplain of the Yamuna does not extend to the site of the Commonwealth Games village. It is quite another thing to keep the river out. Kanchi Kohli reports.

With the formation of the Green Tribunal, its predecessor, the NEAA has ceased to exist. But the NGT is not fully ready to hear cases, and this has put the regulatory environment off-course. Kanchi Kohli reports.

The National Environment Appellate Authority finds everything that ECPEL did in the Naupada swamp is ecologically harmful, but the project must go ahead anyway. Kanchi Kohli reports.

A new study stirs up an old debate - whether the melting of the Himalayan glaciers is only evident at lower reaches, and the higher altitudes are in fact adding snow. Darryl D'Monte reports.

The UNDP is correct to observe that despite the different histories of developed and developing countries, we cannot ignore the fact that it is still one planet. Darryl D'Monte reports.

The BRAI Bill 2013 purports to uphold the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety but completely overlooks a critical sub-protocol that provides for liability and redress in case of damage to biodiversity. Shalini Bhutani explains why that defeats the very purpose of the Bill.

An expert committee set up by the MoEF to study the impact of hydropower projects in the Alaknanda-Bhagirathi basin raises hope, but can it break the mould of the past to bring about the measures so critically needed? Shripad Dharmadhikary explores.

Indian cities have been identified as among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts. Shrimoyee Bhattacharya and Sujaya Rathi explore how the envisioned plan for Bangalore can build in increased resilience to climatic variations and impact.

Darryl D’Monte reports from the Climate Change Conference in Paris, on the consultations in progress and in particular, the stance of the developed world, its implications for India and the world at large.

The Chhattisgarh government has nullified the community rights of a section of villagers under the Forest Rights Act, as it was being used by them to oppose mining in the region. But why are the local people up against mining? Shripad Dharmadhikary reports.

Evidence of violation of environment regulation by the Adani group in their Mundra Port and SEZ Ltd and the Waterfront Development Project have been found. Kanchi Kohli reports on why both the projects are still moving ahead.

From the paints in our homes to the discarded CFL tubes, the sources of toxic chemicals that pose a serious threat to our health and safety are omnipresent. Darryl D’Monte highlights why it is imperative for India to move faster and more determinedly in tackling this problem.

On the 30th anniversary of the catastrophic nuclear accident in Chernobyl, one can ignore the lessons – as well as those of the Fukushima plant, only at our peril, writes Darryl D’Monte.

With the arrival of a new Chairman of Mumbai Port Trust, the redevelopment of port land in Mumbai is  being discussed again and like the earlier discussions this one too ignores the real needs of the city and its citizens. Darryl D’Monte elaborates.

Himanshu Upadhyaya takes a close look at the Critically Polluted Areas mentioned in a recent CAG audit report on the environmental clearances and post clearance monitoring process of Ministry of Environment.

Harapriya Nayak and Santosh Dora share their experience of working with the tribals of a small village in Odisha, who were suffering because of heavy mining happening in their area and how they brought about a change.

In this edition we look at the implications of the recent amendent to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), the performance of the present government which completed one year in the office, the poor menstrual hygiene effecting our older school-going girls, the sad state of sanitary conditions in the slums of Assam, how Muslim women are stepping out to set up businesses in Kashmir while in Uttar Pradesh they suffer as their husbands are being branded a terrorist, the review of Harsh Mander's latest book, and much more.

In this edition we celebrate the World Mental Health Day by bringing you stories of some mental illness surviors, we remember the Father of the Nation with a review of film Gour Hari Dastaan inspired by his ideals. We also take a look into why developing Amravati, the capital Andhra Pradhesh, in the land earmarked for it could be a disaster, the pollution caused by chemical factories in Vapi , the corruption that is derailing our Tribal Sub Plan and more.

In this edition we look at the recently concluded India-Africa Forum Summit, how the original habitants and workers of Mumbai Port are being ignored in the port redevelopment plans, how the RTE Act faring in the State of Tamil Nadu, the rights of the Indian domestic workers, the business of illegal sand mining, how a village is showing the way to sustainable living and much more.

In this edition we remember the hunger strike launched by Irom Sharmila fifteen years ago and which is still going strong. We also have a national award winner explaining why she will not give back her awards like the other awardees, and much more.

In this edition, we look into the odd-even traffic experiment going on in Delhi to combat its air pollution, how poor people lost eye sight in botched up cataract surgeries performed in Barwani, Madhya Pradesh, the skill deficit in the emerging work force of our country, an interview with the well-known Tamil feminist writer C S Lakshmi, and more.

In this edition, we have a touching write-up on caste discrimination and how it very much exists in our society, the success story of the displaced forest dwellers of Ranthambhore, the protests by tribals against the mining companies in Odissa, how school going girls in West Bengal are saying no to child marriage, and more.

In this edition, we find out how free speech and dissent has never been welcomed in our country by any of the ruling parties, why the approval of the Hubli-Ankola railway line is not yet final, the gaps in the social security law for unorganised sector being proposed by the finance minister, the brutal and brave stories of some rape survivors, and more.

In this edition, we celebrate the International Women's Day by bringing out inspiring stories of Soni Sori and the girl footballers from Chennai. We also look into why India's solar mission is in dispute with WTO, the Good Samaritan guidelines that are made compulsory now, and more.

The government-run vocational training system in India has a total annual training capacity of about 28 lakh (2,800,000) students. But most curricula 'followed' at institutes imparting vocational training have little relevance for wage or self-employment. Varupi Jain reports on the macro-picture.

Deprived of their lands, unable to find any kind of work, the female sharecroppers of Singur are today looking at bleak days ahead. Government compensation may come, but it may be too little and a poor substitute for a life-sustaining livelihood. Aparna Pallavi has more.

In 2013, Prasar Bharati took a decision to stop broadcasts by all contractual radio presenters above the age of 35 on All India Radio’s FM Rainbow channel. Anoo Bhuyan delves into the dynamics behind this surprising move and examines the larger implications of the same.

The thrust on vocational skills and values among the youth has more often looked at solutions based on extraneous skill-development modules. E S Ramamurthy explains why a more skilled future workforce must entail fundamental reforms in schooling.

Rapid industrial growth brought wealth but also unchecked pollution to the town of Vapi. It impacted the local fishing communities by destroying their livelihoods. Manisha Goswami and Bharat Patel report on the decades of damage caused by the chemical industries in the area.

Pursuing a national measurement of the education, Rukmini Banerji reaches Arunachal Pradesh. Through chats and conversations and activities with children, she finds that the map of India is much more than dots and lines on a piece of paper, but also the anxieties and dreams of where we want to be tomorrow.

A few months of learning using the primers developed by Utthan have helped over 2000 women in the ravine regions of Bundelkhand so far; they no longer rely on the assistance of others for their daily reading needs. Freny Manecksha reports that crossing this threshold helps open the women many other doors too.

Not only does the executive refuse to appoint more judges, but government also drags its feet in giving them allowances for books, library and residence. Colin Gonsalves says the justice system is choked by the executive and legislative branches.

The recommendations of the committee constituted to look into the claims of endosulfan victims in Kasargod and decide on the need to set up a tribunal to settle those, appear to be largely sympathetic towards the Plantation Corporation and endosulfan manufacturers. P N Venugopal reports.

Laws addressing sexual violence may have changed in India, but with judicial response mired in scepticism and age-old attitudes towards rape survivors, there is little hope for justice. In conversation with Pamela Philipose, noted lawyer Vrinda Grover exposes the contradictions in the legal system.

An alleged incident of molestation within campus premises at one of Calcutta’s most prestigious universities and the events following it have led to huge upheaval and student protests. But does the entire episode also signify a continuation of a disturbing trend? Shoma A Chatterji reports.

Activists and supporters are urging the Supreme Court to ban the practice of triple talaq. Ramesh Menon says that the government will have to courageously act on the sticky issue to ensure that thousands of women get justice.

The lung dust that hundreds of thousands of mineworkers in Rajasthan are exposed to takes a severe toll on their health and lives. The rules meant to protect them, however, have yet to be dusted off the shelves. Deepak Malik recounts the history of the mineworkers' plight.

The Clemenceau has set sail for India, and the spotlight is on the ship-breaking industry at Alang, where workers' safety takes a last-row seat and owners operate without fear of regulatory enforcement or punishment. Ramesh Menon writes that the toxic cargo presents an opportunity to reverse this tide of disgrace.

The current shape of government is too distributed to tackle the scale and complexity of the rural employment guarantee. A National-level autonomous body should be created solely for implementing the NREGA, and this agency should have the necessary authority, in addition to the responsibility, to manage the implementation, says Trilochan Sastry.

The ship-breaking yard of Alang in Gujarat, which brings millions of dollars into the state, wreaks heavy environmental damage and endangers thousands of labourers. Ramesh Menon, who first visited the yard in the early eighties, finds very little has changed over the decades.

The finance minister’s dream of extending social security cover to all unorganised workers in the country is a lofty one undoubtedly, but Kathyayini Chamaraj identifies the many gaps in the existing law that need to be addressed for that dream to be realised.

It is tragic that the new Amendment to the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) (CLPR) Act, 2016, which has a seemingly progressive framework, has been largely diluted by chicanery, opines Kathyayini Chamaraj.

World's largest ship-breaking yard at Alang is crumbling as the EU Commission and the Supreme Court are now putting pressure to get them to create modern environmentally friendly facilities. If they do not do it, the graveyard of ships will die says Ramesh Menon.

With repeated renamings over the changing course of political history, Indian street names contain many layers of the nation's history. Ramachandra Guha uncloaks some of the more prominent of these, finding memories of this history along arterials and side streets.

The central paradox of Indian communism is that its practice is vastly superior to its theory. Communist leaders and activists are probably more intelligent than their counterparts in other parties. This is why it is such a great pity that their often honourable practice is crippled with an archaic and outmoded theory, says Ramachandra Guha.

Indian communists are often chastized for not supporting the Quit India movement of 1942. But a far greater crime of which they were guilty is little talked about nowadays. This took place six years later, when the Communist Party of India fomented an insurrection to strangle the infant Indian state at birth, writes Ramachandra Guha.