Category Archives: Society

Potatoes, Pepsico, PPV&FR

Posted on May 3, 2019 by rgeeta

Some background on the Gujarat farmer-Pepsico war What is this hot potato, anyway? Potato cultivar FL2027 patent holder is Frito Lay North America Inc. This is the same name under which it was registered (2016) under the PPV&FRA, 2001, India … Continue reading →

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Kerala Rains Flood

Posted on August 26, 2018 by rgeeta

News updates: Times of India  CAG Report on Schemes for Flood Control and Flood Forecasting, Link to complete document NIDM Lecture Series: Reservoir operations in the context of flood risk management (Himanshu Thakkar, IITB). Also see SANDRP site for written account.     Like Dislike

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Thoothukudi – Sterlite et al.

Posted on June 4, 2018 by rgeeta

Updates on the continuing story of Sterlite in Thoothukudi Nothing in Bharat is simple. Spaghetti continues to be the best analogy–pick up one end and you don’t know whether you will pick up a simple, single thread of a story, … Continue reading →

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Cleaning up, bit by bit

Posted on June 3, 2018 by rgeeta

This morning, not able to stand the rubbish on the beach at Besant Nagar, Chennai, I found a large plastic bag and started picking plastic trash along the shore. After a bit (the bag was full and heavy enough for … Continue reading →

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March For Science-Chennai

Posted on April 14, 2018 by rgeeta

Besant Nagar beach April 14, 07:00-09:00 Like Dislike

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Draft National Forest Policy

Posted on March 27, 2018 by rgeeta

The Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOI has made available a draft National Forest Policy for comments due on April 14. http://envfor.nic.in/content/inviting-comments-all-concerned-stakeholders-draft-national-forest-policy-2018 Here is the draft: http://www.moef.nic.in/sites/default/files/Draft%20National%20Forest%20Policy%2C%202018.pdf According to this the India Environment Portal, the MoEF says that (15/03/2018) The overall objective … Continue reading →

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The right to affordable quality education

Posted on March 24, 2018 by rgeeta

Many of us have benefitted from the public university education system in India. Even though the public school system is not ideal, there are many students who go through these schools, get into the public university, and make it good. … Continue reading →

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Discovering India in Delhi – 2

Posted on November 4, 2017 by rgeeta

It is that time of year again–painting walls ruined by water seepage, or the dreaded सीलन. The painters are from Bihar, they say, from सीतामढ़ी, Mithila, Sita’s birthplace. What do you grow there, I ask, wheat and  rice, they say, so naturally … Continue reading →

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Delhi Scientists March: 9 Aug, 2017

Posted on July 23, 2017 by rgeeta

August 9 2017, 4 pm Mandi House to Jantar Mantar https://www.facebook.com/IndiaMarchForScience.Delhi/ In the context of various ways in which funding is being axed, it is important that scientists in India make their voices heard. A march is being organized across … Continue reading →

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Pressure cookers, spare parts, and disappearing life-styles

Posted on May 20, 2017 by rgeeta

A recent consequence of the now monotonous routine of place-pot-on-gas-forget-char was a blown pressure cooker valve, which meant even greater chances of place-pot-of-dal-on-gas-forget-char-OR-watch-it-not-boil-over-AND-not-cook. So, finally being done with exam duties,  I set off on my quest to get back a functioning pressure … Continue reading →

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