Simrin Sirur

Purabi Saikia, an associate professor with the Department of Botany at Banaras Hindu University, is one of 18 scientists to win the Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar – a government honour recognising young scientists under the age of 45 who have made “exceptional contributions” to their field of study. A total of 33 scientists were awarded the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar under various categories.

In 2005, Nobel Laureate and Hungarian-American chemist George A. Olah proposed, with two others, that the world embrace a “methanol economy” – a future where the economy depends not on fossil fuels, but on methanol and dimethyl ether (DME)-based fuels. The methanol economy, through the recycling of carbon dioxide, “will eventually free mankind from dependence […]

The gradual impacts of global warming, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss are bringing the world closer to the edge of various tipping points, beyond which changes in earth systems will be sudden and irreversible. The disappearance of Chennai's wetlands is an example of an early warning before local tipping points are reached, states this year's

Solar geoengineering is a controversial technology with the potential to block some of the sun's radiation and cool the planet.

The discourse around phasing out coal has yet to reach union leaders and workers at the ground level, finds a study.

An investigation by a state government body alleges key documents were forged to secure clearances for mining in Chhattisgarh's Hasdeo Arand forest. The report's findings align with the claims of residents in the affected area, who have long argued that consent for mining was never taken from them.

Flood control has always been an important mission for the Indian government. Since 2007, more than Rs. 13,000 crores (Rs. 130 billion) have been spent in flood protection measures through national schemes. Even as these measures are deployed with speed and scale, floods have, in some places, become more severe. In fact,

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has sought to integrate approvals for polluting industries to set up operations, in an effort to “reduce the compliance burden” on them and avoid the duplication of clearances. In two notifications released on November 12, the Ministry has said that “white industries” – those considered the […]

Eco-restoration work towards the generation of green credits is underway in over 3,000 hectares of land in India, even as the government is working to devise a formula to make such credits quantifiable and tradable. The programme, launched in October 2023, seeks to incentivise “voluntary environmental actions” by making them tradable. Activities such as tree […]

The environment ministry has said ‘white industries’ need not seek permission from state authorities before commencing operations.