Belief in the north-east that it brings drought, famine  Phenomenon occurred in 1960s in Mizoram, leading to an increase in the rodent population Timing of flowering a mystery even to scientists; cycle varies from seven years to 120 years HYDERABAD: Reports about the flowering of bamboo at the Nehru Zoological Park, a phenomenon said to occur once in the life cycle of bamboo plant, have brought into focus the popular belief in...

At first glance, the vegetable patches in this north Indian village look no different from the many small, spare farms that dot the country. But up close, visitors can see some curious experiments: insect traps made with reusable plastic bags; bamboo poles helping bitter gourd grow bigger and straighter; and seedlings germinating from plastic trays under a fine net. These are low-tech innovations, to be sure. But they are crucial...

By the end of the third day (i.e. 11th April, 2010) of the The Independent People’s Tribunal that took place at Constitutional Club between 9 and 11 April, 2010, Retired Supreme Court judge Justice Sawant, while concluding, said that participatory democracy has been lacking in India. Democracy can never be equated with elections only. The jury during the 3-day long People’s Tribunal heard the testimonies of a large number of...

A“reworked and realistic” food guarantee scheme is on the anvil. The Suresh Tendulkar panel report is likely to form the basis for poverty estimation required for this. A hint to this effect came during a meeting of the core group of chief ministers on price rise chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on Thursday. The government has been under pressure from state governments to make a fresh BPL assessment....

It is popular in periods of Hindu religious fasting like Navratri. It is also commonly found on the shelves of health food stores. But for the tribals in the Sahyadri hills in Maharashtra, buckwheat is a way of life. Unlike in the hilly regions of northern India where kuttu, as the millet-like crop is called in Hindi, is found in plenty, spotting buckwheat fields can be difficult on the Sahyadri hills....