yet again ... getting lost ... then enjoying self-discovery ...

Thoughts on culling after the discussion session last month. Timeline December 2015 the Bihar state government for the first time since the Wildlife Protection Act came into being ‘used’ Section 62 of the Act to declare Nilgai and Wild Boar vermin. This was followed by Uttarakhand in February 2016 for Wild Boar and Himachal Pradesh in March 2016, followed by another one increasing the geographical spread during May 2016, for Rhesus Macaque. These allowed for their being killed, using multiple means, in large numbers. Spat between two central government ministers helped highlight the issue and it was extensively covered by media during June 2016. Scenario today What numbers were to be killed to bring conflict to acceptable levels? How many animals were killed in each of these states? Has the culling had any impact on the conflict situation? While all this happens we are yet to get answers to some of the seemingly basic questions. It is easier to move ahead...

Have you seen Oil Palm in Tiger Reserve? And other questions on Dampa This is the unedited version of the piece published in Deccan Herald . Recent trips to Dampa have been followed with a series of interesting questions, by friends, on the landscape. Dampa is often referred to as being different from other Tiger Reserves be it management or tiger sightings? Why is it so? There are multiple reasons. To begin with, Dampa is not an atypical Tiger Reserve in the lines of Ranthambore or Corbett where one enjoys a drive a four wheel vehicle; here one walks up and down the forest. On sightings the Indian Express during September 2015 reports ‘ Senior forest officials in the state and conservationists who have worked there admit there have been no tiger sightings in Dampa for decades, and no tiger has been caught by numerous camera traps although a large assortment of other wildlife — including smaller wild cats — has been .” Management issues include lack of single managemen...

Is environment education in India at odds with its development agenda? Published by Firstpost on 18 th October 2016. Acknowledgements:  Firstpost and Jaideep. One of the plenary speakers at a recently held  conference on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Ahmedabad highlighted the need for Environment Education (EE) to be political. EE had been away from politics for long and this, she said, had rendered it weak. Participants were quick to raise questions on the risks this could pose of complicating the issue further, especially given the ability of the facilitators to deliberate on such topics. The speaker’s response was unambiguous. On one hand, students today have access to most of the information – from the internet and other sources. On the other hand, the onus lies on the facilitators to upgrade their skills and communicate the issues responsibly in an apt manner. In other words, not talking on the topics was neither an opti...