The National Biodiversity Authority has released a new set of rules to manage sharing of benefits generated through the use of biological resources. The Biological Diversity (Access to biological Resources and Knowledge Associated thereto and Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits) Regulation 2025 was approved by the Central government and …
In what he calls an attempt to convert "default into advantage". Anil Gupta of the Indian Institute of Management,Gujarat, has initiated a project to map the soil microbial diversity in the state. "There is no genetic map of microbial diversity in the world of even a small area," he claims. …
In India's flood plains, the people developed ingenious techniques to use the menacing floodwaters, not just to irrigate their fields but also to fertilise them and control diseases like malaria (by making use of fish in the floodwaters to eat away mosquito larvae, for instance). The nation's richest agricultural area …
Our traditional water harvesting structures demonstrate the people's ingenuity at its best. Using unique modes and basic engineering skills, Indians have developed a wide array of techniques for satisfying their thirstIndia has an extraordinary diversity of agro-ecological systems, ranging from the hot desert of Rajasthan to the cold desert of …
The most outstanding example of conjunctive use of water (prevalent in Rajasthan's arid regions) is in the city of Jodhpur, once a fabulously rich desert fort. The Jodhpur fort is situated at the edge of a rocky plateau. The former kings had built a series of canals to collect the …
In Tamil Nadu, which has a profusion of tanks, local irrigation institutions have evolved to develop a common code for maintenance, water-sharing and resolution of conflicts. The organisational structure operates, firstly, at a supervisory level as an enforcing authority, and, secondly, at a more menial level involving hard labour. The …
Pre-colonial roots When the British disembarked on the Indian shores, they saw a land extremely rich, highly urbanised and intensely literate, with a flourishing tradition of arts, crafts and literature. The wealth of the land came from its internal resource mobilisation. The surplus generated in the villages not only supported …
A pivotal role in irrigation management was played by temples. The famous temple of Kalahasti near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, for instance, used the endowments from its devotees to excavate irrigation channels and to reclaim temple lands. A Kalahasti inscription dating back to 1540 states: "Virappanar Ayyar deposited (with the …
the year 1979 had seen a debilitating drought sweep across India. As rains failed, agricultural production dropped, resulting in enormous human misery. Nestled in the denuded sub-Himalayan Shivalik hills, the poor villagers of Sukhomajri in Haryana were not spared either. They had managed to grow just one monsoon crop a …
close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Relax. Concentrate on a word, an image or just plain void. In other words, meditate. Let the mind take over the body, and various ailments afflicting the duo are tamed. Magic or miracle? Neither, but a realm of spirituality and mysticism
THE issue of protecting the interests of indigenous people against the unauthorised use and piracy of their valuable genetic material and traditional knowledge has become an important one. The Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime however, neither recognises such knowledge as being intellectual property nor JOs it contain any provisions to …
To most Indians, turmeric or haldi is a part of growing up, a magic cure-all for the excesses of childhood. A classic "grandmother's remedy", the virulent yellow powder or paste has been applied to the scrapes and cuts of generations of children. But in the US, two scientists were granted …
On her interest in biodiversity: My involvement with biodiversity stems from my concern for the plant and animal species that are being affected by the use of pesticides, and persistent organic compounds in particular. Working with Pesticide Action Network (pan) has made me realise the importance of feeling the pulse …
The US National Cancer Institute has found that Maharishi Amrit Kalash (MAK) 4 and 5, ayurvedic formulations developed by the Maharishi International University, significantly inhibit cancer cell growth in both human tumour and rat epithelial cell systems. Prepared from a wide variety of herbs and spices in a base of …
Environmental medicine studies the interfaces among chemicals, food and inhalants in the environment and the biological function of the individual. It was founded in the 1940s by Theron Randolph, who, along with others, developed a new model and associated clinical principles that would help a physician to diagnose an illness …
after nearly four centuries of somnolent neglect, Sri Lanka is finally waking up to the magic of its traditional systems of medicine. The creation of a separate ministry of indigenous medicine in 1980 was the culmination of a series of measures taken by successive governments to revive traditional medical systems, …
Mind-body intervention psychotherapy: includes combining medication with discussion, listening to the patient or using more active behavioural and emotive psychological methods; can hasten recovery in somatic illnesses. support groups: group therapy and counselling combined with diet and exercise can reverse diseases like angina pectoris. meditation: increases longevity and quality of …
one of the problems facing the world today is effective and affordable healthcare for its five billion-odd inhabitants. The prohibitive costs that Western or allopathic school of medicine (which often involves serious side effects) engenders is increasingly turning people towards the haven offered by alternative medical systems. The term "alternative" …
new research on an ancient Chinese treatment for skin disorders and other maladies, has brought to light the fact that the traditional remedy can actually deal more effectively with virulent forms of acute promyelocytic leukaemia (apl), a rare blood cancer, than was previously thought. Arsenic trioxide, one of the ingredients …
