Rotterdam Convention meet: no consensus on including herbicide paraquat in the prior informed consent list
120 nations had agreed to the listing, but India and Gautemala played spoilsport
Nepal’s civil society wants right to food to become fundamental right
Country is in the process of drafting a new Constitution and civil society organisations are demanding that food security be included in the text
US, equity and the elephants in the room
The issue of sharing the common atmospheric space has been at the core of discussions—the elephant in the room that we want to forget. It …
Activists demand access to affordable oral hepatitis drugs
Giving patents to foreign-made medicines will add to patients’ woes, they urge
NGOs to boycott climate talks
Civil society groups express unhappiness over developed countries and Poland blocking negotiations
Patent claim on hepatitis C drug questioned in many countries
With hepatitis C killing at least 700,000 people every year, civil society has strengthened efforts to make the drug accessible
Breastfeeding week kicks off amid concerns over unlawful tactics by baby food companies
Health activists call for effective implementation of regulations that ban promotion of baby foods and feeding bottles for infants
Production and sale of baby food to be monitored
Non-profits and two autonomous state agencies authorised to lodge complaints regarding violations. Will that be enough to bring violators to book?
China admits to tiger skin trade at international forum
Around 1,600 tigers have been traded globally since 2000
Huge disparity found in livestock census and NSSO data
This has happened in past surveys also, say experts
Include eggs in nation’s food security programme, demand activists
People’s Budget Initiative says implementation of food security programme discouraging
Civil society groups call for an end to carbon markets, green economy
Margarita Declaration, issued at the end of the four day pre-COP conference in Venezuela, was backed by UN but goes against the global agency's …
Air pollution
The Modi government released the National Air Quality Index (AQI) for public information
Global wildlife populations halved in 40 years
Hydro dams, pollution led to a 76 per cent dip in freshwater species populations between 1970 and 2010, says report
Supreme Court to examine drug pricing policy
Asks Centre about very high profit margins allowed to manufacturers and dealers under Drug Price Control Order for essential medicines
Could Bhopal gas victims have got more compensation?
A 1988 confidential letter by JRD Tata to Rajiv Gandhi reveals Union Carbide was willing to pay a higher compensation in case of an out-of-court …
Hong Kong shows improvement in air quality
Catalytic converters in vehicles bring down emission levels
Varied visions for new climate agreement in Lima
As developed and developing countries continue to disagree over key elements of the new climate deal in the works, civil society groups suggest …
'World needs to invest US $15.5 billion a year on breastfeeding'
World Bank estimate for investment on breastfeeding is less than 20 per cent of what is required, according to international non-profit, IBFAN
WB report on Alaknanda dam kept under wraps
Findings on possible adverse impacts of Vishnugad Pipalkoti hydropower project may not become public till Maha Kumbh gets over
Call for policy to check drug abuse, overuse
Public health experts suggest ways to curb drug resistance
‘India should lead way in clean cook stoves’
Experts draw attention to high child mortality and morbidity among women and children because of inefficient cook stoves
Anti-malarial drug resistant parasites knock on India’s doors
Countries will have to consider the possibility of revising treatment strategy to counter drug resistance, says study
MGNREGS won't subsidise rural toilets, says Gadkari
New study shows the small improvement achieved in sanitation between 2001 and 2011 not enough to improve health outcomes
Modi's victory may mean push for Ken-Betwa river-link project
There is enough evidence that the project would be an environmental blunder, say activists