-Tehelka The government has failed to implement the law and stop the use of ART for determining the sex of unborn children. On 14 February 2003, the term ‘pre-conception' was added to the title of the law that prohibited couples and doctors from determining the sex of an unborn child. The new version of the law came to be known as the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. The amendment...

-Economic and Political Weekly   The runaway growth in states of subsidised solar pumps, which provide quality energy at near-zero marginal cost, can pose a bigger threat of groundwater over-exploitation than free power has done so far. The best way to meet this threat is by paying farmers to "grow" solar power as a remunerative cash crop. Doing so can reduce pressure on aquifers, cut the subsidy burden on electricity companies, reduce...

-Down to Earth The proposed Sewerage Master Plan 2031 that promises to end Delhi's drainage troubles underestimates the wastewater volume of the city Delhi is notorious for its overflowing drains and poor sanitation. The situation is so bad that just half of the city's population has sewerage connection. Media reports show that cases of water-borne diseases like cholera are reported more from areas lacking sewerage systems such as Rohini and Shahdara. This...

-The Times of India Almora (Uttarakhand): Bilayat grass, also called trap grass, could be the thing to prevent landslides. The roots of this variety of grass grows into soil and rock, and binds matter so fast that land will not slide. A non-governmental organisation in Nainital, working in collaboration with the Bareilly-based Indian Veterinary Research Institute, has suggested that this grass could be grown in the hills of Uttarakhand to prevent...

-The Times of India Bhagalpur: The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and System of Root Intensification method for wheat, also referred to as System of Wheat Intensification (SWI) are likely to augment agriculture production manifold besides catering to the ever increasing demand for rice and wheat. "Through SRI, we can harmonize with the world view that 'rice and wheat are life support food for millions'," said the agriculture scientists and experts adding...