Sushmita Sengupta

1 month ago | downtoearth.org.in | Sushmita Sengupta

India needs to intervene on the gully erosion of 77 districts (70 per cent of which is in eastern and southern India) to meet the United Nations agenda of land degradation by 2030, according to a 2025 scientific report published in Nature. Land is being degraded across the world. As per the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), around 20 to 40 per cent of the total area of the world is affected by land degradation.

2 months ago | downtoearth.org.in | Sushmita Sengupta

One of the key announcements by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget 2025-26 speech on February 1, 2025 was the extension of the Jal Jeevan Mission until 2028, with an enhanced total outlay. The finance minister stated that since 2019, 150 million households — representing 80 per cent of India’s rural population — have gained access to potable tap water connections. To achieve 100 per cent coverage, the Jal Jeevan Mission has been extended to 2028.

Jan 24, 2025 | food.ndtv.com | Sushmita Sengupta

Republic day is just around the corner. And so is the year's first long weekend. On the 26th January 2018, India would be celebrating its 76th Republic day. Republic Day holiday is a special one for all Indians. Watching the Republic day parades and March Past on Television is something which is part of every Indian household since decades. Watching the flag hoisting and listening to the President's speech has been our earliest tryst to the feeling of patriotism.

Dec 8, 2024 | downtoearth.org.in | Sushmita Sengupta |Swati Bhatia

Will policy decisions help women get a decision-making role to combat desertification in a climate-risked world? That question is up for deliberation at the ongoing 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Dec 8, 2024 | htsyndication.com | Sushmita Sengupta |Swati Bhatia

India, Dec. 9 -- Will policy decisions help women get a decision-making role to combat desertification in a climate-risked world? That question is up for deliberation at the ongoing 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.