Aided and abetted by unscrupulous medical practitioners, female foeticide has increased alarmingly over the years. And the backyards of prominent urban centres are transforming into a veritable haven for such activities. The retrieval of hundreds of packets of dumped infant body parts from the small town of Nayagarh, has brought to the fore how brazenly the practice of female foeticide flourishes in the state of Orissa. It now appears that Nayagarh was the hub of illegal abortion in the area with people using the dubious facilities offered for termination of unwanted female foetuses.

Drift through any prominent do’s of the city and pose a few CFL questions to the elite and environment conscious. Watch the proud smile spreading across their faces claiming they use only compact fluorescent lights as it can save the world from greenhouse gas emissions. The link no doubt is well established and the rich and famous have found a new expensive toy to show off how aware and concerned they are about the future of the earth. But with a rising inequality in incomes, poor India can barely afford a light bulb let alone a CFL. Starting at about Rs. 100 for standard illumination requirement, for almost all branded CFL, it is way beyond the Rs 10 that a two-square-meal-earning citizen dish out for an edisonian bulb. If we are so sure that the energy efficient CFL will translate into substantial energy savings and bring down emissions levels then we should address its pricing regiment so that every Indian is able to afford a CFL without debt pangs.

Without a national programme to make CFL disposal easy for the average consumer, millions of CFLs reaching the end of their life will silently release mercury–a deadly toxin, into India’s waste stream.

Wild Shrimp Seed Collection in Hoogly Estuary, West Bengal.

Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) is being projected as the panacea of all lighting needs of the nation which will control if not bring down the whopping demand for energy, which in India is mostly met from greenhouse gas-producing thermal power plants. But there is a poisonous side to this harbinger of good tidings that is being swept under the proverbial carpet, durries perhaps, in the Indian context.

The increasing levels of air pollution continues to raise concern and remains a significant environmental issue contributing to climate change, posing adverse effects on the health of the people and the planet. This article presses on how the common masses may seek respite in the court for the enforcement of air quality regulations in India. It discusses the scope of using scientific measures to deal with pollution in India and throws light on the rightful power of the judiciary in framing laws, and how it becomes the law of the land and the legal expectation of the masses from the court.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has been hailed as a transformative framework for Indian education, introducing sweeping reforms aimed at structural change and improving access, quality, and governance. However, five years since its introduction, concerns remain over its implementation and long-term impact. This article analyzes NEP 2020 in the context of past policies, its ambitious goals, and the ground realities of education in India. It explores the challenges of declining school enrollments, the quality of teacher training, the shifting role of states in educational governance, and the implications of centralization. As we assess the effectiveness of NEP 2020, we ask: Is this policy truly a game changer, or does it require significant course correction?

The foundational principle upon which our education system rests is fundamentally based on the democratic values of secularism, federalism, liberty, and equality. The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, critics have argued, categorically fails to commit to these values. This article explores the basic tenets of the NEP. Particularly, the article highlights some of the perceived shortcomings of the policy and consequently on the fate of Indian higher education.

India is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world, home to hundreds of languages representing millennia of cultural evolution and indigenous knowledge . The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) aims to harness and promote these diverse languages through the three-language formula (TLF). This article provides a comprehensive understanding of the challenges facing linguistic diversity in India, the critical role of mother tongue-based education, and the implications of the National Education Policy 2020 for language preservation. The insights offered underline the urgent need for institutional, technological, and community-based strategies to safeguard India’s endangered languages.