Farmers in India face huge challenges in selling their crops profitably. So, they are demanding that the government should guarantee a Minimum Support Price (MSP) on all 23 crops that it provides for. MSP is the rate at which the government buys crops from farmers no matter what the crop’s prices prevail in the market. This assures an income to the farmers and offers them security. That is why they want that a legal guarantee should be provided for MSP.

An observation report made by high-schoolers in rural Maharashtra, studying the impact of climate change and the water resources installed by them a year earlier. At the cusp of the monsoon in Kharajgaon, land had laid barren for months. The countryside was tense and farmers awaited rains. Too early and the crops would die, too late and they can’t be sold. Most farmers took multiple jobs during off-season to support their families. Navin, a farmer we worked with, forced his daughters to leave school to sustain their living costs. Promised prosperous yield, they adopted inorganic fertilisers and pesticides. “We know …

A path-breaking scientific and technical invention by a student of Amity International, New Delhi to ease agriculture, using solar power. ******************************************* "I wanted to create something unique which can contribute to the development of our country.” Suhani Chauhan, a student of Amity International School, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi recently created SO-APT—a visionary agricultural innovation. Stories of students across states are emerging...

Become a smart consumer by learning how to pick out the truly ‘Organic’ stuff from amongst a host of food packets carrying various complicated labels. ***************************** Hello, friends! The other day, I went grocery shopping with my niece, Prisha, for buying some chemical-free and safe food. She’s just like you, always eager to learn new things. As we walked through the store, Prisha explored all kinds of fruits, spices, chocolates, and whatnot! But something really confused her—lots of description on the products she’d picked up...

Sharing fond memories from 25 years back—of ice creams, rookies, cow dung, and some cool environment stuff for kids. ************************************ In the summer of 1992, late at night in the basement of the then rented office space of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the editorial team of the Down To Earth (DTE) magazine had a very long hot and tiring day putting together their very first issue. Anil Agarwal, the founder editor,...

Classroom experiments for fostering a healthy learning environment—based on ‘community comments,’ cooperative lesson plans, and a ‘mystery person.’ ********************************************************************** I believe that the most important aspect in a positive learning environment is the rapport between a teacher and her students. When the students are convinced that their teacher cares for them and wants them to do well, they feel relaxed to open up and ask questions. They no longer hesitate in making mistakes and taking risks. In order to build such healthy relationships, the …

Summarizing the Union Budget in a cool, simplified, less dreadful, more interesting, nowhere mind-boggling, and in quite a thought-provoking manner. *********************************** 11am, 1st February: a moment for which people across the country wait anxiously every year. Why?...

Kick start this new year on a wise and healthy note with a mouthful of millets. Learn more about their varieties, benefits, and environmental importance. ************************************* Hi friends! Have you ever reflected upon the usual grains that we eat every day? Apart from the most popular, wheat and rice, there are a lot of other cereals that we consume like sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), and buckwheat (kuttu). Most of these are local foods and are prepared on special occasions like fasts or festivities...