Feature Article

We show in climate model experiments that large-scale afforestation in northern mid-latitudes warms the Northern Hemisphere and alters global circulation patterns. An expansion of dark forests increases the absorption of solar energy and increases surface temperature, particularly in regions where the land surface is unable to compensate with latent heat flux due to water limitation.

The recent elevated rate of large earthquakes has fueled concern that the underlying global rate of earthquake activity has

E-Shakti project in Bihar through its biometric attendance and wage disbursement at worksite has empowered workers.

For long we have been fed lies. Mumbai has no scarcity of houses and the key to the truth lies in using digital technology to unlock the city's housing potential.

On August 1, 2011 the movement for banning chewing tobacco in India saw a turn in its favour. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a statutory body under the health ministry to handle food-related issues, notified a new regulation called the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. It states under rule 2.3.4 that "product not to contain any substance which may be injurious to health: tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products".

An audit of the RTE Act (Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education) implementation in 10 states exposes poor state of education sector.

One potential impact from greenhouse-gas emissions is increasing damage from extreme events. Here, we quantify how climate
change may affect tropical cyclone damage. We find that future increases in income are likely to double tropical cyclone damage
even without climate change. Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency of high-intensity storms in selected ocean
basins depending on the climate model. Climate change doubles economic damage, but the result depends on the parameters of

A well-calculated compensation plan eases relocation pain of forest dwellers from the core area of Melghat Tiger Reserve. It’s not the kind of relocation story that one usually hears. Early last year three villages were uprooted from their traditional land in the core area of the Melghat Tiger Reserve to make way for free movement of the big cat. They did not protest, and walked away with their belongings and herds of cattle.

Against the backdrop of Kolkata’s AMRI’s tragedy, EPW’s diagnosis and the preventive measures that have been suggested
are appropriate and logical (“Playing with Lives”, EPW, 31 December 2011). But will the authorities learn from the past? The
smaller cities which are growing fast without proper planning are more vulnerable to such risks. (Letters)

This refers to the paper: “Catastrophic Payments and Impoverishment Due to Out-of-Pocket Health Spending” (19 November 2011) by Soumitra Ghosh. The paper contains some very good analysis of the data on healthcare expenditures in India. We would, however, like to take this opportunity to debate some of the conceptual underpinnings of the paper. (Letters)