Columns

• Greener cities, smarter choices: PKC’s sustainability projects for Pune

  

  The Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs 2030) proposed by the United Nations urges governments, businesses, and individuals to take collective action against pressing social, economic and environmental challenges by 2030. With a core emphasis on sustainability and climate action, Pune Knowledge Cluster, (PKC) which is one of the eight knowledge cluster initiatives backed by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India (GoI), supports India’s commitment to the 2030 agenda.
  

  Posted on Sep 19, 2025 in Environmental Sciences, Other & Interdisciplinarity

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• Shifting kharif crops into summer: A betrayal of water sustainability

  

  Shifting kharif crops to summer may seem like smart farming, but it’s draining our groundwater in the hottest months. This short-term benefit comes at the cost of longer-term water security. In this article, the authors urge a return to climate-aligned farming practices before we run our wells dry.

  Posted on Sep 12, 2025 in Agriculture, Environmental Sciences & Science

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• India’s bio-engineering leap: Securing data in the era of CRISPR and AI

  

  Varun Asediya is a researcher interested in how science shapes our lives in ways which we are unaware of as it begins to happen. His work engages in developing interdisciplinary approaches to the evolving interface between biology and technology seamlessly shifting from the mechanisms associated with biological systems to the circuits of our neurons - at the nexus of innovation and imagination where truly transformative possibilities emerge.
  

  Posted on Jul 11, 2025 in Agriculture, Microbiology, Environmental Sciences & Research

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• Farming in the age of superbugs: Are enteric pathogens becoming resistant to disinfection?

  

  Mittali Tyagi, a PhD student at Manav Rachna International Institute of Research & Studies in Faridabad, Haryana, is an environment enthusiast who works towards the promotion of sustainability. Her passion for nature has turned into a strong commitment to addressing environmental challenges and spurring change in the way we interact with the planet. As part of her PhD studies on pathogen-plant interactions, she came across fascinating research on enteric pathogen survival on plants and their implications for food safety—an observation that prompted her to author this article.
  

  Posted on Jun 20, 2025 in Agriculture, Microbiology, Environmental Sciences & Research

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• Guardians of the night: Conservation dogs fostering human-elephant coexistence

  

  In the heart of Bannerghatta National Park, Karnataka, A Rocha India has introduced the Elephant Anti-Depredation Dog Squad (EaDDS) to tackle rising human-elephant conflicts. Utilising trained Belgian Malinois dogs, this initiative aims to preemptively detect and deter elephants from entering farmlands, fostering harmonious coexistence between communities and wildlife.

  Posted on Jul 05, 2024 in Environmental Sciences, Ecology & Wildlife Biology

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• Women wildlife biologists who blazed their own trail

  

  Challenging stereotypes and carving paths through adversity, the book ‘Women in the Wild’ narrates the awe-inspiring tales of female biologists who defy gender biases and navigate daunting terrains. In this book review, Devanshi Gupta shares their stories not only to celebrate achievements but also to beckon a future where diversity and dedication triumph in the realm of field biology.

  Posted on Feb 12, 2024 in Environmental Sciences, Wildlife Biology & Women in Science

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• Teaching evidence-based conservation

  

  Conservation research can be key to making effective conservation policies, but only when the policymakers are trained to understand and critically analyse its findings. In this article, Andrea D. Phillott highlights numerous resources that can help educators train students – future conservationists – in the use of evidence-based conservation. Phillott is a Professor in Environmental Studies and teaches Conservation Biology, Ecology, and Environmental Studies at FLAME University, Pune.

  Posted on Apr 08, 2021 in Environmental Sciences, Conservation Biology, Wildlife Biology, Teaching, Undergraduate & Education

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