-The Hindu Chennai: There is accumulating evidence in India that pollution and contamination are becoming a serious public health issue, which requires focussed strategies to mitigate. "Environment in India is not a lifestyle issue. The missing dimension in the environment debate is the public health debate. One way of getting a larger political focus for environmental issues would be to pitch it as a public health issue," said Jairam Ramesh, former Union...

-The Indian Express All the extra money that you spent on installing CFL lights in your homes, in buying new LED television sets, and on five-star rated air-conditioners and refrigerators instead of three-star ones, have proved to be worthwhile, having resulted in huge energy savings for India in the last decade. Between 2000 and 2011, a total of 791 million tonnes of oil equivalent energy was saved, thanks to measures like...

-The Hindu India must recapture its capacity to proactively provide both intellectual and political leadership on climate change The United Nations Climate Summit just concluded in New York. Such a conclave was taking place after a gap of five years. Expectations were low even though public rallies took place before the summit. The usual brave speeches were made but there were no dramatic announcements. U.S. President Barack Obama outlined the country's plans...

The Business Standard The Planning Commission has not been central to the policymaking process since the mid-1960s In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the end of the Planning Commission. There will be few mourners at its funeral, mainly old war horses like me. So this is in the nature of an obituary for an institution in which I served for a decade and a half, and where I...

-The Hindu 80 per cent subsidy will be granted for farmers: Villupuram Collector Villupuram (Tamil Nadu): Villupuram farmers are being encouraged to put up solar-powered pumping system to maximise farm production and to economise usage of water, according to V. Sampath, District Collector. Those farmers who would opt for such a system, being promoted under the National Agricultural Development Programme (NADP), would be eligible to get 80 per cent subsidy, to the extent...