-Livemint.com The production of ‘mahua’ is finally entering the formal economy as new initiatives seek to upscale this indigenous drink, selling it across the country and even the globe It is a cloudy morning in Nangur village in Bastar district, Chattisgarh. It is a settlement of a little over 400 families, considered fairly large in these parts. We make a bumpy journey down a narrow, unpaved road intermittently shaded by sargi (sal)...

  How clean are our rivers? Latest data indicates a negative trend.  A report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which was released in September this year, reveals that in total there were 45 river stretches across the country in 2016-17, where water quality is found to be the worst. In 2014-15, however, the total number of such river stretches was just 34. Technically speaking, the value of biochemical oxygen demand...

-The Hindu “Global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if it continues to increase at the current rate” New Delhi: “Limiting global warming to 1.5ºCelcius would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society," the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in a new assessment made public on Monday. The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5ºC was approved by the IPCC on Saturday in...

-Down to Earth India's most comprehensive study ever is important in the face of the Centre denying health repercussions due to uranium contamination of groundwater India has put its largest ever groundwater testing for uranium contamination on high gear. Started by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in 2014, the testing drive, which had slowed down, has again picked up in recent months. The drive is to be finished by 2019 and...

-PTI Will not allow fake news and targeted voter messaging Internet major Google and social media giants Twitter and Facebook have assured the Election Commission that they will not allow their platforms to be used for anything which affects the sanctity of polls during the campaign period, Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat has said. He said this was tested during the Karnataka elections. “A small pilot was there. That was the beginning. Now...