Water resources under severe stress
Dr. Satyavan Saurabh Water is not just a natural resource, but the foundation of life, civilization, economic development, food security, and environmental balance. Most of the great civilizations in human history developed along rivers, as water has been the fundamental source of life and prosperity. However, in the twenty-first century, increasing pressure on water resources […]
New virus catalogue reveals which pathogens pose the greatest threat
Mark Woolhouse In a typical year, scientists discover two or three viruses that have never been seen in people before. The number fluctuates, but the trend has been fairly steady since the 1960s. Most of these viruses attract little attention, and my colleagues and I have often had to search through old medical papers to […]
Pesticide Use in South Kashmir: A Growing Public Health Concern
Umair Shafiq Khanday South Kashmir is known for its lush green orchards, fertile agricultural land, and abundant production of apples, cherries, pears, walnuts, and vegetables. Agriculture is the backbone of the region’s economy, supporting thousands of families. However, alongside increased agricultural productivity, the widespread and often indiscriminate use of pesticides has emerged as a significant […]
Stitching the Value Chain: How PM MITRA Parks are Rewriting India’s Textile Destiny
Pabitra Margherita For centuries, India’s identity was deeply woven into its textiles, from the lasting warmth of Kashmir’s Pashmina and the golden luster of Assam’s Muga silk, to the royal Kanjeevarams of Tamil Nadu, the weaves of Chanderi, and the legendary textile craftsmanship of Surat. Today, this sector remains a strong pillar of our economy, […]
Welcoming the rains
K S S Pillai A few days ago, the media were shouting hoarse about the delayed monsoon and its bad effects. The main culprit was said to be El Niño, which was badly affecting the climate of many parts of the world. It was increasing the global heat in some places while lashing some other […]
Empowering Excellence: How the Top Class Education Schemes Shaping India’s Future Leaders
Sudhansh Pant Across India, talented young students are translating aspirations into achievement through the Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students. By expanding access to quality education in premier institutions, the scheme is nurturing a new generation of professionals, innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs and leaders who are contributing to India’s growth and development. Implemented by the […]
The Bengali Scientist Who Challenged the British Through Science
Dr. Reyaz Ahmad When the story of modern science is told, the world usually remembers discoveries, patents, medals, Nobel Prizes, and famous European laboratories. But before a discovery can happen, a more fundamental thing must exist: a place where minds are allowed to ask questions freely. For colonial India, that place did not come easily. […]
Breaking the Biology Rules
Sahil Swe For decades, biology was presented as a science built on certainty. Students around the world learned the same foundational principle: DNA stores genetic information, RNA carries those instructions, and proteins perform the work of life. This framework, famously known as the Central Dogma of molecular biology, became one of the most important ideas […]
A Microbe That Ignores Stop Signs
As remarkable as template-free DNA synthesis sounds, another discovery may be equally important. Researchers studying a methane-producing archaeon called Methanosarcina acetivorans found that it can reinterpret one of biology’s supposedly fixed genetic instructions. To understand why this matters, it is important to know how the genetic code works. When cells build proteins, ribosomes read messenger […]
Oceans are getting hotter and El Niño is making things worse
Matthew England, Alex Sen Gupta and Alistair Hobday The world’s oceans are the hottest on record for June, pushing past records set during the 2023–24 El Niño years. Right now, the average sea surface temperature is just under 21°C across the world’s tropical and temperate oceans. Before widespread industrialisation in 1870, the temperature was about […]