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    Income inequality in India continues to deepen, with the latest World Inequality Report 2026 showing that the top ten per cent of earners now capture fifty-eight per cent of the country’s national income, while the bottom fifty per cent receive only fifteen per cent. The findings place India among the most unequal nations globally, highlighting widening gaps across income, wealth and gender. The report, released by the World Inequality Lab and edited by economists Lucas Chancel, Ricardo Gómez-Carrera, Rowaida Moshrif and Thomas Piketty, draws from the work of over two hundred scholars worldwide. Wealth Concentration Reaches New Highs According to the report, wealth inequality remains even more severe than income inequality. The richest ten per cent of Indians hold...

    The remarkable recovery of sea turtles around the world has taken another hopeful leap forward, with new findings showing that more than one million olive ridley turtle nests were counted along India’s western coastline this year. The figure, reported by NPR, is nearly ten times higher than the numbers documented two decades ago, offering a powerful example of how long-term conservation can reverse even the most worrying declines. Olive ridley turtles are the most abundant sea turtle species globally, yet they remain listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In India, their nesting beaches stretch across states such as Maharashtra and Odisha, where they have long been part of both local ecology and coastal culture. At the Velas Turtl...

    During a recent visit to Brazil for COP30, environmentalist Chandra Bhushan experienced something unexpected: his first instance of falling ill outside India in more than thirty years of travel. What happened next became a revealing lesson in how differently India and Brazil approach antibiotics and why this difference has critical public health implications. Bhushan explains that, like millions of Indians, he has grown accustomed to an informal network of doctors, neighbourhood chemists and well-intentioned advisers. For everyday illnesses such as coughs or colds, the advice he receives tends to be predictable. Even when doctors diagnose a viral infection, the prescription almost always includes an antibiotic, justified with the familiar line, “Take this to prevent ...

    Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced a series of strict measures to tackle the capital’s deteriorating air quality, directing authorities to enforce a complete ban on open burning. Along with this, the government has imposed a prohibition on the use of coal and firewood in tandoors across all hotels, restaurants and open eateries in the city. The chief minister said that the district administration and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi can impose a penalty of up to ₹5,000 on anyone found burning garbage in the open. Appealing to the public for cooperation, Gupta stated, “We humbly request all citizens not to burn waste in the open. Your small cooperation can bring about a big change.” Air quality improves slightly, but remains in the ‘poor’ categ...

    China is facing a deepening imbalance in its water cycle, with new research warning that the changes unfolding across the country are far from uniform. While some regions are seeing slight gains in rainfall, others are experiencing significant water loss intensifying long-standing regional disparities. According to the study, the eastern monsoon belt has recorded a decline in water availability, driven mainly by rising evapotranspiration. More water is evaporating from soil, forests and croplands, leaving less available for human use. In contrast, the Tibetan Plateau often called Asia’s water tower has seen a modest increase in precipitation. But researchers caution that the additional rainfall is far too small to make up for the water being lost elsewhere. The gr...

    Global plastic pollution is accelerating at a pace that far exceeds the world’s ability to manage it, with a new assessment warning that the amount of plastic entering land, air and water will more than double over the next fifteen years. The report, produced by the Pew Charitable Trusts with support from ICF International and leading research partners such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Imperial College London, Systemiq and the University of Oxford, paints a stark picture of rising waste, health risks and economic burdens. According to the analysis, Breaking the Plastic Wave 2025 – An Assessment of the Global System and Strategies for Transformative Change an estimated 130 million tonnes of plastic are already polluting the environment every year. Without urgent...

    While major metros like Delhi and Mumbai continue to choke under layers of haze, a handful of Indian cities are quietly standing out for their remarkably clean and fresh air. From hill stations surrounded by dense forests to coastal towns benefiting from steady winds, these regions show how natural surroundings and disciplined pollution control can make all the difference. Across the first week of December, Shillong, Ooty, Aizawl, Palkalaiperur and Tirunelveli recorded some of the lowest Air Quality Index (AQI) levels in the country. Shillong led the list with AQI readings as low as 15 on December 1, helped by its high elevation and lush green cover. Ooty maintained consistently clean air through the week, supported by its cool climate and vast green landscapes. A...

    Silfra, the world-famous fissure between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, continues to captivate adventurers with a kind of beauty that feels almost otherworldly. For many travellers, the starkness of Silfra is precisely what makes it unforgettable. Unlike tropical destinations bursting with colour and marine life, this Icelandic wonder offers the rare sensation of floating in deep geological time. Its astonishingly clear water creates an illusion of weightlessness, reminding every diver of the ancient forces that shape continents beneath their fins. One of Silfra’s most remarkable stretches, known as The Cathedral leaves an especially lasting impression. Here, divers glide through a corridor so vast and transparent that it resembles a natural cathedr...

    A new analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has placed Delhi as the fourth most polluted city in India for the month of November, highlighting a troubling rise in toxic air across the National Capital Region. The report shows that Ghaziabad recorded the worst air quality in the country, followed by Noida, Bahadurgarh, and then Delhi. Other cities in the top ten list include Hapur, Greater Noida, Baghpat, Sonipat, Meerut and Rohtak all of which experienced severe deterioration in PM2.5 levels compared to last year, except Delhi. Despite an 80 to 90 per cent drop in stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana over the last four years, 20 out of 29 NCR cities recorded higher pollution levels than the previous year. The CREA November 2025...

    The dream of establishing permanent settlements on Mars has always been limited by one major challenge: how to build safe, durable structures on a planet with freezing temperatures, thin atmosphere, and constant radiation. Scientists now believe the answer may lie beneath the astronauts’ feet. New research shows that Martian regolith the dusty soil covering the planet could be turned into strong, concrete-like building material using living microorganisms through a process known as biomineralization. Biomineralization is a natural phenomenon where microbes create minerals as part of their metabolic activity. Dr. Shiva Khoshtinat of Politecnico di Milano is among the researchers studying how these microbes can be harnessed for construction on Mars. By examining bacter...