Sporadic natural events like floods and droughts have made headlines in recent times. An official report, which was released in April this year, among other things, shows that extreme weather events have taken a huge toll on both human and cattle lives, personal property and crops grown by farmers and farm workers. A chapter on extreme weather events and natural disasters in the report entitled EnviStats India 2019, Vol. I: Environment...

-Outlook Experts say Zero Budget Natural Farming defies logic that it will involve no financial cost. Imbalance between yield and price could even lead to food shortage in future Au Naturel * Zero-budget natural farming relies on savings on chemical inputs like fertilisers and insecticides * As health consciousness grows, there’s a demand for natural/organic produce * ZBNF relies on cow dung and urine for seed treatment, improving yield * Scientists fear ZBNF may lead to...

-The Hindu Business Line The death of two children killed for relieving themselves in public just days before India was declared ‘open defecation free’ by the Prime Minister highlights the chasm between targets and solutions India was declared ‘open defecation free’ on October 2, Mahatma Gandhi’s 150-year birth anniversary. A target-oriented sanitation drive, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) was a signature programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first term in office. Rapid...

-TheWire.in "It's pretty ubiquitous and we need to pay attention to it." During World War II (1939-1945), pilots were interested in ways to make their fighter jets more resistant to getting shot. To this end, the Allied forces at least would inspect jets that returned from sorties and check where the bullet holes were. Then they would reinforce those areas and send the planes back. Fortunately for them, a statistician realised that this...

-The Hindu Business Line Kochi: Kerala betel leaf farmers are pinning hopes on the Geographical Indication status received for Tirur Vettila, the unique betel leaf variety from Malappuram district of the State, as the tag is likely to enhance its marketability in Asian markets. Pakistan was a major market for Tirur Vettila till 2016, when the government imposed restrictions by levying additional duties on the merchandise trade between the two countries following...