Society, Culture, Religion and History

Term Path Alias

/topics/society-culture-religion-and-history

Featured Articles

October 8, 2023

India's rivers: From conservation movements to legal personhood

While the current push for legal personhood for rivers is facing obstacles and is stalled, it holds potential as a viable long-term strategy for the preservation of India's rivers

River quality deteriorates as demand for hydropower to support economic growth continues to expand. (Image: Yogendra Singh Negi, Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED)

June 16, 2023

Majuli Island: A tapestry of resilience and environmental harmony

Majuli serves as a symbol of both the delicate balance between human activity and the environment and the tenacity of its residents

Addressing various aspects of women's lives to enhance their social, economic, and political status (Image: Rebuild India Fund)

January 13, 2022

Water management in the times of Gonds of Central India

The water structures constructed during the Gond period continue to survive the test of time and provide evidence of the water wisdom of our ancestors.

Kundeshwar lake, Kundam in Jabalpur (Image Source: K G Vyas)

January 2, 2021

The fast disappearing traditional water harvesting structures of Rajasthan

Lack of community ownership and local governance are spelling doom for the once royal and resilient traditional water harvesting structures of Rajasthan.

Toorji Ka Jhalara, Jodhpur (Image Source: Rituja Mitra)

December 7, 2020

Not in the interest of women farmers!

The new farm related bills will spell doom for women workers who form the bulk of small and marginal sections of Indian agriculture, warns Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM).

Farm women, overworked and underpaid (Image Source: India Water Portal)

December 11, 2019

Scientists intervene to save dry toilets

Dry toilets have long been hailed as a sustainable solution to the sanitation and waste management crisis facing India today, but have been overshadowed by more modern toilet designs.

A traditional dry toilet. Image: India Science Wire

Beware of genetically modified crops!

The passing of the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India bill will hasten the arrival of genetically modified (GM) crops in India. Are we aware of all the facts around it?

Amita Bhaduri

Posted on 25 Jul, 2013 01:36 PM

When the DNA of a plant is modified using genetic engineering techniques or biotechnology, the plant is said to have been genetically modified (GM). What does this mean to you and I? Quite simply, it means that the crop could have undergone this process in order to become something that it wasn't in the first place.

Protest against BRAI bill Source: Greenpeace

Free the river! Let it flow!

Flooding in Assam caused by embankments on the mighty Brahmaputra is routine news. It makes the headlines every year but not for long. Political apathy however, continues.

Ravleen Kaur

Posted on 25 Jul, 2013 12:46 AM

Floods are an annual event in the north-eastern state of Assam. The newspapers expect it at this time of year, every year. For the world, this is routine, something not even worth a front-page story like the Uttarakhand floods maybe because it does not involve pilgrims or religion.

The Brahamputra in spate (Photos: Amita Bhaduri)

The Dongria Kondhs' tribals bring the judiciary down on its knees

Niyamgiri tribals' decision to veto mining, environment degradation's effect on the country's GDP and Maharashtra's carbon trading scheme are the highlights of this week's news.

Ravleen Kaur

Posted on 22 Jul, 2013 01:40 AM

Dongria Kondh tribals stand firm against mining of Niyamgiri

Fighting the good fight using the Right to Information Act (RTI)

Sanjay Jaiswal of the Lok Vikas Samiti educates Mehdiganj (near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) to use the RTI in their fight against Coca Cola.

chicu

Posted on 20 Jul, 2013 11:21 AM

What exactly does a 'campaign' look like? What do people actually do when they 'protest' against something? And how do the protesters get hold of all the facts that they quote? These questions surfaced every time I read about a campaign or a protest on environmental or human rights issues but I never got any answers that made me wiser. Until this summer.

Sacchidanand Bharti - in his own words

The environmental conservation efforts in Ufrenkhal have been written about for nearly three decades but always by others. Here is the story in the protagonist's own words.

Chicu Lokgariwar

Sacchidanand Bharti

Posted on 15 Jul, 2013 07:12 PM

Reams have been written about Sacchidanand Bharti, of Ufrenkhal fame and his work on afforestation and water conservation. However, very rarely does he speak about his own efforts and experiences.

Sacchidanand Bharti in the Ufrenkhal forest

Applications invited for Research Fellowship Scheme, Sitaram Jindal Foundation

A scheme to encourage and inspire the talent and recognize excellence in innovation and research.

Posted on 15 Jul, 2013 06:03 PM

Offered by

Sitaram Jindal Foundation (SJ Foundation)

About the scheme

The Fellowship is for supporting individual investigators in research and development leading to applications of innovations

Fields of research

One year course in ' Science and Management for Sustainable Living', Bhoomi College, Bangalore

A programme meant to foster an interest in green careers in those who wish to explore the possibility of learning and action connected with sustainable living.

Posted on 15 Jul, 2013 02:44 PM

About the organisers

Bhoomi College

Course period