Articles & Op-Eds

What would be the energy scenario in India in, say, 25 years from now? This is an important political enquiry as the path we choose would have a pivotal role in determining the country’s economic growth, social development and environmental sustainability. But, before gazing into the crystal ball, let’s analyse [...]

As I write this column, I am mindful that I may receive a legal notice from the Centre for Environment and Agrochemicals or the Crop Care Federation of India. These organisations, representing pesticides manufacturers and formulators, have been sending us legal notices for many years. We utter the word pesticides [...]

In the heydays of ‘India Shining’ in 2003, the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) had experimented with an alternate model to control pollution from industries. The model was named ‘Corporate Responsibility for Environment Protection’, or CREP. It was based on the principle of voluntary compliance: instead of the government [...]

A few months ago, a ten-month old daughter of my colleague contracted urinary tract infection, which is fairly common and is generally caused by a bacteria. A routine antibiotic course should have treated her. But, when her urine culture report came, it shocked everyone. This child had no history of [...]

An amendment was made recently in the Indian Forest Act of 1927, to remove bamboo from the category of trees. With this minor modification, bamboo grown on agricultural land will not require a transit permit (TP), for felling and transportation, from the forest department. However, bamboo grown in the forest [...]

The Union government is giving final shape to the laws to regulate the labelling and advertisement of food products. In November 2017, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued the draft Food Safety and Standards (Advertisements and Claims) Regulations, 2017, for public comments. On January 5, 2018, [...]