-Down to Earth Developing countries feel digital sequence information provides a loophole through which developed countries can circumvent the Convention of Biodiversity Negotiations on how to regulate the use of digital sequence information (DSI) of genetic resources could further delay the finalisation of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The process has already been delayed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The vast potential of...

-Down to Earth No regulation on marketing strategies by drug companies has created a medical autocracy, the Dolo-650 controversy shows If you had to take paracetamol 650 milligrams instead of paracetamol 500 mg three times a day during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be familiar with the drug called Dolo-650. The drug is prescribed for reducing fever and pain, but the medicine possibly reached you thanks to its manufacturer’s market strategy. A petition...

-Down to Earth The United States Department of Agriculture has said rice production in India may decline by 0.9% in 2022-23 due to uneven rains Rice prices are spiking across India, even in areas where it is the staple. This development comes even as the country has experienced an abnormal Kharif season, with uneven distribution of rainfall. The cereal that forms the staple diet of over half of India’s population has become prohibitively...

-South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) Bharudpura dam (also called Karam dam) on Karam river, a tributary of Narmada river, near Gujari village in Dharampuri Tehsil of Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh faced major disaster after the very first filling in August 2022 when there was seepage from and massive erosion of the dam wall starting from Aug 11, 2022. The disaster at the Rs 304.44 crore project...

-Down to Earth blog Palm oil is water-intensive and requires large patches of land India is the second-largest consumer of edible oil globally and its largest importer. While the government has taken several initiatives over the years to increase the domestic production of edible oils, its shortage and high price are often in the news. Palm oil production grew between 2015-2016 and 2020-2021 at a compound annual growth rate of 6.1 per cent,...