conserving the nature which surrounds us requires dealing with out perception of natureiii. Often we do not realize that the attribution of human feelings in our discourse with non-human sentient beings mimics rules of out own social order. Animals and plants, then, are supposed to operate by...

Participatory approaches for watershed management are now considered essential for sustainable natural resources management and yet there is very little opportunity for intellectual participation by the people. This requires understanding of the local knowledge systems and their institutional...

The cost of conservation of germplasm stored in gene banks i.e., ex-situ collections has been studied in other parts of the world to estimate direct and indirect contributions by various actors involved in conservation. This is the first study of its kind in India done in collaboration with...

Ethical dilemma arise in pursing conservation of environment at different levels. In this paper, we review various ethical philosophies and identify the determinants of responsibility. Boundary of pain, responsibility arising out of greater human purpose, eco centrism or deep ecological ethics,...

In memory of Dr.C.V.Seshadri, a maverick scientist and a social change agent, it is suggested that a new model for sustainable livelihoods is followed. The ex-ante and ex-post transaction costs of innovators, investors and entrepreneurs will have to be reduced if the new paradigm has to work....

The institutional pathways through which grassroots struggles and initiatives can not only be articulated but also nurtured are crucial for inclusive development. It has been noted earlier that to institutionalize even a small change, multiple interventions are required at different levels and...

It is ironic that while searching for models that promote excellence, we have not made the outstanding teachers and researchers the hub of future reforms. The fact that in any field of social investigation or higher education, the top few ranks are always occupied by public institutions has not...

India has used science and technology for social development right from the beginning of planned development. The first time when television programmes were beamed through satellite, it was for education and not just entertainment. No other country perhaps began the satellite-based transmission...

There is a huge crisis for water all around the world, certainly in India with groundwater table going down and drinking water selling almost at the rate of toned milk. Who would have imagined two decades ago that a very large number of people in the country would be paying about Rs.15 a litre...

The food and beverages industry has not yet established strong and vibrant linkages with the local communities to develop value added products and share the benefits. The paper lists seven models for building such linkages. The models range from mass sourcing the ideas and rewarding the selected...