Articles by: Dr. Soma Marla

G20 Biofuel  Alliance  threatens Food security

G20 Biofuel  Alliance  threatens Food security

During the recent G 20 summit India  has launched the Global Biofuel Aliance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi  urged the G20 nations to join the initiative with a plea to take ethanol blending with petrol globally to 20 per cent  to facilitate energy transformation in context of climate change.  Although provision of   environmentally sustainable  green alternative to fossil fuels  sounds good,[Read More…]

by 21/09/2023 Comments are Disabled World
 Image NOAA (Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2019 ).

Deep sea mining  destroys Marine biodiversity

Oceans are experiencing rapid and dramatic changes as a result of human activity. Data indicate that during the last twenty to twenty-five years, concerns have been raised regarding uncontrolled collection and exploitation of genetic resources from the deep seabed. Today, many nations  across the world are in a race  to mine  the  deep sea bed for valuable minerals. WHAT IS[Read More…]

by 09/08/2023 Comments are Disabled Environmental Protection
ISRO Scientist at Tirupati  (Photo:IANS)

 Attempts by Religious Obscurantists to Tarninsh success of Science and  Moon mission

Successful launch of Chandrayan 3, the latest mission of Indian Space  Research Organization  to moon is a remarkable scientific endeavour.  It  took off  from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh state  on the afternoon of  July 14th. With the successful launch, India is bidding to become  the fourth country to execute a controlled landing on the[Read More…]

by 16/07/2023 Comments are Disabled India
Exclusion of Darwin from School syllabus deprives  rational Knowledge to Indian School children

Exclusion of Darwin from School syllabus deprives  rational Knowledge to Indian School children

Several scientists, educators  last week raised serious concern about NCERT  removing theory of evolution from science syllabus in class X curriculum of CBSE. The letter said, “Understanding the process of evolution is crucial in building scientific temper”. And depriving students of this exposure is ‘ travesty to of education’. Sadly,  the list of  deleted science topics include, Charles Darwin, molecular[Read More…]

by 25/04/2023 Comments are Disabled India
Multi billion Indian infra funds help only Super Rich and not poor

Multi billion Indian infra funds help only Super Rich and not poor

 This year’s Indian Budget has allocated  Rs 10 lakh crore (121.0 Billion US $) as capital expenditure for  building huge infrastructure during 2023-24. Nearly one fourth of the capital outlay will be spent on constructing new roads and highways and another quarter  to Indian Railways for  running new high speed trains (like Vande Bharat), laying new rail tracks and  10[Read More…]

by 13/02/2023 Comments are Disabled India
Bursting Adani bubble exposes nexus between Crony Capitalists and ruling BJP

Bursting Adani bubble exposes nexus between Crony Capitalists and ruling BJP

Forbes, world’s financial news daily declared (September, 2022), Gautam Adani as the second richest in global rich list, with a fortune estimated to be  $155.5 billion on Forbe’s Real time billionaire rankings.  Then during this week credible American financial investigating firm Hindenburg Research revealed a saga of stock manipulations and accounting frauds  of Adani empire, India’s biggest crony capitalist. As[Read More…]

by 01/02/2023 Comments are Disabled India
Developing nations bear the brunt of climate change

Developing nations bear the brunt of climate change

Mia Mottley, PM  of Barbodos, speaking at the ongoing ongoing COP27 UN climate summit, attacked the rich nations for their  historical criminal past for present climate crisis  and demanded 1 trillion US$ compensation to low income countries to tackle natural disasters. Madam Prime minister from a tiny Carribean nation is known for her bold speeches in world forums in advocating[Read More…]

by 08/11/2022 Comments are Disabled Climate Change
Floods  in South Asia and Climate Change

Floods  in South Asia and Climate Change

Havoc and misery  caused by recent floods in Bengaluru, Pakistan  and Assam are not only natural disasters  but are man made and due to climate change. Over exploitation  of urban land and water resources by greedy private real estate developers perhaps the chief cause of floods. Media relentlessly focused on  flooded upscale  villas, their swanky automobiles of super rich in[Read More…]

by 11/09/2022 Comments are Disabled Climate Change, Editor's Picks
Women in a Delhi bus display their pink tickets. | PTI

Rejection of Subsidies to Poor  To Benefiting Large Corporates

Currently  inIndian media an active debate is taking place in the country on  “frebbies”  or Subsidies given to poor.  The controversy  was first initiated by  PM Narendra Modi who warned the youth against being influenced by a “revari culture”. Soon  Mr. Upadhyaya,  a BJP  leader and a lawyer,  known for his communal hate speeches, moved a petition in the Supreme[Read More…]

by 29/08/2022 Comments are Disabled India
New Amendments to  Indian Forest Rights Act 2006  To help  Big  corporations

New Amendments to  Indian Forest Rights Act 2006  To help  Big  corporations

While nominating Mrs. Draupadi Murmu,as candidate to President of India, ruling BJP  boasted a savior of tribal people. However, by proposing  changes to Forest Rights Act, 2006, the government is doing quite  the opposite by subverting  the interests of tribal people to benefit big companies. During the current monsoon session of Indian Parliament new rules are proposed to the present[Read More…]

by 16/07/2022 Comments are Disabled India
Ban on Indian Wheat Exports Deprives income to Farmers But Profits Traders and Exporters

Ban on Indian Wheat Exports Deprives income to Farmers But Profits Traders and Exporters

 In 2020 present NDA government while bringing  three farm laws said they are intended to facilitate fair markets and enhance farmers incomes. Exactly opposite the government acted by banning exports all of a sudden when global wheat prices are attractive and watered down the hopes of Indian wheat farmers. In the context of Russia- Ukraine war (both the nations account[Read More…]

by 25/05/2022 Comments are Disabled India
How Coal and Oil Lobby Betrayed Climate Agenda in COP26

How Coal and Oil Lobby Betrayed Climate Agenda in COP26

The just ended climate summit COP26 has largely disappointed the people around the world  in taking bold steps to avert rapid global warming. Despite the urgency to halt catastrophic climate change,  the pact approved at the end of the summit, compromised continued use in coming decades  instead  of phasing out coal and other fossil fuels agreed to their. The ambitious [Read More…]

by 15/11/2021 Comments are Disabled Climate Change
Massive  Indian farmers Conglomeration calls for Sept 27 All India Strike

Massive  Indian farmers Conglomeration calls for Sept 27 All India Strike

A massive Kissan Panchayat was held in Muzfarnagar, UP on September 5  and resolved to intensify ongoing agitation and called for Bharat Bandh on Sept 27. The Panchayat organized by Samyukth Kisan Morcha  witnessed a huge congregation of farmers and farm workers from 22 states from all over India. Large presence of youth and farm women is visibly seen. BKU,[Read More…]

by 06/09/2021 Comments are Disabled India
Lift USA embargo  on the export of Vaccine raw materials

Lift USA embargo  on the export of Vaccine raw materials

Nation is currently reeling through a serious COVID pandemic.  Daily reported cases are touching  nearly 3.0 lakhs  with mounting deaths in many states.  Unless 30 crore population is vaccinated by beginning of August, it may not be possible to  stock pile antibodies, break the disease chain and attain herd immunity. Till the  third week of April  despite the vaccine shortages[Read More…]

by 20/04/2021 3 comments World
Amidst shortages in India unplanned Vaccine Plan stumbles

Amidst shortages in India unplanned Vaccine Plan stumbles

The  second wave of COVID-19 pandemic  situation across the country is becoming alarming. With  nearly 1.52 lakh new cases  being reported daily (as on 10th April)  and  the  mounting death toll a calamitous health situation is emerging. Amidst this, various states reported vaccine shortages and   people are being sent home at the vacination centers. With  spike in  infections people started[Read More…]

by 11/04/2021 Comments are Disabled India
Neglect of  Green Laws and the Himanalyan Uttarakhand Disaster

Neglect of  Green Laws and the Himanalyan Uttarakhand Disaster

Disaster struck Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on 7 February 2021 morning after a  portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off. The sudden flood in Dhauli Ganga, Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda tributaries of the Ganga caused  death of over 50 persons and nearly 150 workers  missing till  15 February, 2021. Most were workers in different projects in the area, along with[Read More…]

by 16/02/2021 Comments are Disabled Environmental Protection
Diluted Indian Environmental  laws on platter  for Corporates

Diluted Indian Environmental  laws on platter  for Corporates

The draft environmental impact assessment (EIA) notification 2020 proposed by the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change dilutes further the current EIA Notification 2006. Proposed changes in the name of “ Ease of doing business”  relax further and totally overhaul the environmental clearance system to benefit  large corporations and  mining MNCs. Many of the proposed  clauses in the[Read More…]

by 30/08/2020 Comments are Disabled Environmental Protection
Why Indian sugarcane farmers are angry with  President Bolsanaro’s visit to India

Why Indian sugarcane farmers are angry with  President Bolsanaro’s visit to India

  Brazil’s President Bolsonaro, is the chief guest at India’s  Republic Day Parade on January 26 this year.  But  sugarcane farmers around the country are not  happy with his visit and protesting around the country for the last  three days. Brazil, largest producer of sugarcane and sugar  exporter in the world  complained to WTO (World Trade Organization) questioning the support[Read More…]

by 27/01/2020 Comments are Disabled India
 Ravaging Fires in Amazon Rain Forest and who are the Culprits?       

 Ravaging Fires in Amazon Rain Forest and who are the Culprits?       

Fires are destroying  Amazon rain forest for the last three weeks with nearly 75,000 fires ravaging. According to Brazil’s National Institute of for  Space Research(INPE).  there has been a increase of 80 % fires compared to last summer.  Three football fields of land in the Brazilian Amazon are deforested every minute. This week, the intensity of fires is so high [Read More…]

by 02/09/2019 Comments are Disabled Environmental Protection
Science  And Success Of October Revolution

Science  And Success Of October Revolution

  Soviet Union demonstrated the first experiment in human history of the application of  science  and scientific  methods  for  building  socialism.    Planned scientific and technological research  had  contributed hugely to  successful   building  of socialism  in USSR, especially  during  the  first three plan periods after  October revolution. For the first time, science was liberated from the dictates  of  Private ‘Capital’ and [Read More…]

by 02/11/2017 2 comments Life/Philosophy
All Is Not Well With  Indian GM Mustard

All Is Not Well With  Indian GM Mustard

                            Recently Ministry of  Environment, Forestry and  Climate change  has placed on its web site  the  review report on assessment of  food and environmental safety  of  Genetically modified mustard  seeking public  comments. Genetically modified mustard hybrid developed by   a team of  scientists  from Delhi University, the first GM[Read More…]

Translate »