Category: Environment and Social Issues

By – Shreya Parameshwaran Abstract Wildlife conservation is being dramatically altered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) through automating the analysis of the numerous ecological datasets created by technology such as camera traps, drones, acoustic sensors, GPS collars, and satellite images. Machine-learning algorithms are detecting animal species, identifying potential poaching threats and monitoring changes to animal habitat faster…

By – Ansh Goel  Abstract:  The Government of India has developed the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) as a way to increase the domestic reliance on critical minerals: lithium, cobalt, rare Earth  elements, and other minerals necessary for a clean energy transition. The NCMM is part of an  accelerated domestic extraction policy for critical minerals and…

By- Ishita Sharma Abstract Arguments about how people may live often end with an appeal to nature, on the assumption that nature keeps a fixed order of true selves against which some lives count as counterfeit. This article tests that assumption against three biological deceptions: the bee orchid, the mimicking hoverfly, and the predatory Photuris…

By  — Varsha M Abstract  The Great Nicobar Project is a large infrastructure initiative proposed by the Government of India. It intends to improve India’s economic and political standing in the Indo-Pacific region, and is a major development venture that plans for a transhipment port, an airport, a power plant, and a township, while promising to be a sustainable development project. Although it is…

By — Varsha M Abstract This article argues that the failure to clean the Yamuna is not due to a lack of effort but a fundamental misdiagnosis of the problem. While governments prioritise visible, short-term interventions, the river continues to receive untreated sewage from a broken urban system defined by poor drainage design, inadequate infrastructure,…

By – Neel Das Abstract Solely in the last couple of monsoons, Assam’s Brahmaputra Basin faced recurring floods which affected over 24 lakh people annually, eroding livelihoods, despite extensive spending on embankments and other reliefs. Persisting issues such as regular breaches, short-term repairs, and discord in the regulations highlight weak accountability given limited community integration…

By – Shreya Parameshwaran Abstract While artificial intelligence (AI) is changing economies around the world, its environmental effects are largely unseen. AI requires large data centres with a lot of power and resources that use up tremendous amounts of energy in the form of continuous training and computation, creating significant impacts through CO2 emissions. Just…

By — Siddarth Poola Abstract Coal is widely seen as harmful to the environment, outdated economically, and problematic politically. Yet, it still dominates energy systems worldwide and nationally. This article looks at why coal remains prevalent through the lenses of political economy, labor dependence, institutional inertia, and informal power structures. Using reports from India’s mining…