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‘Entity or sector-level targets only determine financial transfers across entities and sectors, and not the overall emission intensity decline’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images The Indian government recently announced greenhouse gas emissions intensity of production targets for entities (such as a steel plant) operating within eight of the nine heavy industrial sectors covered in India’s … Read more
The axe has dropped. The Environment Ministry has exempted the majority of India’s coal-fired plants from mandatorily installing Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems, which are designed to cut sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions. In effect, this undermines its own mandate from 2015 that required all such plants — there are about 180 of them now, comprising … Read more
Even as the Global Week Against Torture was being observed, newspapers reported on June 25 that a constable was suspended for assaulting three women inside a police station in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu. Another report on the same day published an order of the State Human Rights Commission in V. Priyadharshini vs K. Santhamoorthi, … Read more
In the quietude of midnight, a teenage girl stays awake, her face illuminated by the blue glow of her phone screen, thumb suspended over a message she will never send. She stares at a name that has not lighted up her notifications for days, maybe weeks. Her message reads, “Did I do something wrong?”, but … Read more
Sacred groves are patches of lush greenery protected and preserved on religious and cultural grounds. The ancient Indian society tried to create a synergy of religion and nature to protect wilderness with a wide range of rare herbs, shrubs, reptiles, medicinal plants, ancient trees and so on. They are often associated with the local deity … Read more
Drop year or gap year, the word sounds simple, but its meaning is deep. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto When the results of competitive exams are declared, some students are jubilant. But there are many others with tears in their eyes, and this gloom forces them to take a decision that is crucial for their … Read more
Through fictional characters, one can grieve, yearn, fight, flee, fall, and find oneself again. | Photo Credit: Getty Images “I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked… I saw myself … Read more
Crows hunt in tandem. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto It was a little past dawn. The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, but there was that soft, golden light beginning to seep over the Attappady Hills. Mist still clung to the trees, and everything felt damp and fresh. We were on one of our road trips … Read more
Real life is rarely dramatic enough, and watching someone else live large offers temporary escape. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Celebrity worship in India isn’t just a pastime; it’s a full-blown national movement with more followers than most religions. These new-age gods have abs, endorsement deals, and PR managers who tweet on their behalf. We’re … Read more
Keeping pace with a growing economy, and rapidly expanding urban landscape, India’s energy demand is on the rise, with consumption expected to double by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). To meet this demand sustainably, the Government of India aims for 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and a net-zero target … Read more