-Down to Earth   Orders forest department to restore honey seized during raid The court of judicial magistrate of Chamrajnagar in Karnataka has upheld the rights of Soliga tribal people to harvest and sell forest produce independent of the forest department. On May 24, the court ordered Punjanur range forest officer to return 1,100 kg of honey seized from the Hosepodu gram sabha, located within the Biligiri Rangaswami Temple (BRT) tiger reserve, during...

-The Times of India Vina Mazumdar, academic, activist and one of the pioneers of women's studies in India, passed away on May 30. Renowned anthropologist Joan Mencher pays her a tribute. Vina Mazumdar (1927-2013)-"Vinadi" to colleagues and friends-a veteran fighter for Indian women's rights and pioneer of feminist studies, passed away in Delhi on May 30, 2013. She had been ailing since March of this year. I first met her in the...

-Down to Earth Report by children's non-profit links childhood malnourishment to educational performance, adult income and GDP Malnutrition decrease the gross domestic product (GDP) in low- and middle-income countries, says a report by international non-profit Save the Children. Malnutrition affects educational development, physical productivity and health, and also perpetuates inequalities, such as those created by caste in India, says the report. The report, Food for thought: Tackling child malnutrition to unlock potential...

-Down to Earth Government and academic differ on reasons for decline Census data, released by directorate of census operations in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has revealed that the tribal population of the islands declined by 3.19 per cent in the decade between 2001 and 2011. The overall population on the islands, however, increased by 6.86 per cent. While the government says the 2004 tsunami could be a reason for the decline...

-The Hindu Tiruvannamalai: The field is almost dry but for brief wet patches. Yet, the paddy crop in it is prosperous with grain-rich panicles looking down the earth. The small plot of land located in a nondescript village near Polur thus shines in a State that still debates on whether its farmers can go for Kuruvai crop as there is no promise of water, by saying "You vie for gallons to...