Puneet A

India witnessed yet another record-breaking summer this year. As scorching temperatures become the new norm, a new technical paper calls for a more granular understanding of gender and age-specific risks of heat stress. The paper, Gender-differentiated and age-specific risks of heat stress in a warming world: Implications for equality and resilience, by Venge Nyirongo, Deputy […]

The death toll from days of heavy rain across Jammu and Kashmir has risen to 27 after a landslide killed seven members of a family in Poonch district. Rajouri and Poonch are among the worst-affected districts, with flash floods and landslides damaging homes, roads, power lines and communication networks. Authorities have suspended the Amarnath Yatra

Arctic sea ice appeared to be entering a new phase. In the early 2020s, the rapid decline seen over previous decades seemed to ease, leading scientists to ask whether winter sea ice loss had slowed. Our new study suggests that conclusion was premature. After two exceptionally low-ice winters in 2025 and 2026, the recent slowdown

IMD issues heavy rainfall alert for several states as the monsoon intensifies, triggering flood and landslide concerns across northern India. Delhi-NCR receives welcome showers, while Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir battle severe rain, landslides and travel disruptions. Red alert issued for Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir as authorities suspend pilgrimages and intensify

In January 2026, the authors’ article in Down to Earth argued that the 16th Finance Commission had a rare opportunity to move India’s ecological fiscal transfers beyond static forest by expanding the indicator base, rewarding performance alongside possession, and aligning fiscal incentives with real conservation outcomes. The Commission’s report has since been released, and this

In March, the Karnataka High Court directed the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to consider the issues highlighted in a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking the removal of all Conocarpus trees planted across the city. The high court advisory on Conocarpus, a genus of trees introduced to India from the Gulf, where it has been

India’s development story, like much of the world, continues to be told through a single number: Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Every quarter, GDP growth dominates headlines, shaping perceptions of economic success and influencing policy priorities. Yet GDP measures only the value of goods and services produced within an economy. It does not reveal whether soils

For more than 400 million years, sharks have survived on Earth, outlasting dramatic climatic shifts and multiple mass extinctions. But since 1970, the global abundance of sharks and rays has reduced by 71%. During the same period, fishing pressure doubled, and shark and ray catches tripled. Unabated extraction and the destruction of key nursery and

The horrifying death of a young boy, Sunil Singh, in a mugger crocodile attack in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh left many saddened but also intrigued. Just two years ago, national headlines were abuzz with news of wolf attacks in… you guessed it right, Bahraich. From Indian wolves to mugger crocodiles, what makes Bahraich such a rich