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Summary: BP’s reversal on green commitments—cutting $5 billion from low-carbon investments while increasing fossil fuel spending—illustrates the unreliability of corporate-led climate action. Similar backtracking by Shell and ExxonMobil underscores how financial pressures often override sustainability goals. With weak global regulations, voluntary corporate pledges remain fragile. This reflects a deeper flaw in economic models prioritizing short-term profits over ecological limits. Enforcing climate regulations and shifting to sustainable economic frameworks, like Doughnut Economics, is essential for aligning profit with planetary boundaries. 

Abstract: The National Curriculum Framework (NCF), formulated by NCERT in 2005, serves as a guideline for syllabi, textbooks,and teaching practices for schools in India. With many years past its implementation, it becomes imperative to ensure its effectiveness, especially at the rural level and identify areas for improvement. A survey was conducted by visiting a rural school in Delhi with students from predominantly weak socio-economic backgrounds. The researcher interacted with learners and gained insight into the school system, teachers, and learning environment. One needs to look at science education from a psycho social perspective i.e. factors that intervene in the learning of science. This becomes especially important for the rural students who comprise a major section of school going population. Since these students come from background characteristic of first generation learners, little to no understanding of science education and low nutrition etc. In order to get a first-hand experience of factors affecting the learning process of science directly or indirectly among learners is crucial to ensure its benefits are reaped at grass root level and to find out gaps, if any, for further interventions. This research study investigates the gaps in science learning due to psychological stress in children from weak socio-economic backgrounds and related factors in Indian schools.We found that stress negatively impacts learners’ performance in science and an alarmingly high level of learners self-diagnosed with stress and related psychological problems. In addition to this, the relationship of perceived autonomy and self-regulatory behaviour were found to influence science performance positively. It is noteworthy, that in this study we found nutritional habits and family type (joint/nuclear) greatly influence science performance stress levels, perceived autonomy and regulatory behaviours in learners. The paper discusses these factors at the theoretical and policy levels, intending to provide recommendations improve science literacy despite the social background.

In a not-so-distant future’s light,

Humanity soared to science’s height.

The world stood united as one

Technology’s grace spun

Prosperity all around, and diseases gone

Ushered in a blooming dawn.

Beneath this utopian semblance,

A sinister threat trods endless

Dr. Gargi, a microbiologist of fame,

Discovered a creature untamed.

Found during one of her deep ocean expeditions

Her mind was blown by further investigations

A microbe, unique and bold,

Enhanced human minds and bodies, secrets unfold.

Extraordinary symbiosis with humans, dark intentions did it conceal,

Manipulating hosts with a cunning zeal.

Dr. Gargi called it the Symbiobacter hominis

The air about it spread fast, SymBact became the new whizz

At fi rst, the changes, subtle and slight,

People became healthier, charismatic, shining bright.

Unknowingly, they danced to its scheme,

SymBact’s silent conquest, a beguiling dream.

Gradually, becoming SymBact’s vessels, puppets

in the grand scheme of replication and conquest.

As SymBact’s grasp on humans grew stronger,

It began to orchestrate a global takeover

With growing infl uence over world leaders

Born was a new world order

Coupled with the progress of humanity

Was its proliferation, driving to insanity

As humans bent to SymBact’s will

A new future crafted, ominous, and still

Dr. Gargi aware of the impending catastrophe

Embarked on a mission to reverse the dystrophy

Assembled some trusted scientists in her team

They devised a diffusion scheme

A counteragent, their plan devised,

To sever the bacterial bonds, they bravely surmised.

To the Arctic’s heart, their journey did lead,

Infi ltrating the facility, their valiant deed.

SymBact’s soldiers, enhanced and enslaved,

A battle brutal, their homeland they craved

At the complex’s core, in darkness profound,

Dr. Gargi stood on hallowed ground.

Her body trembling, mind in sway

SymBact’s energy getting their way

Her hands reached a slimy mold

Gripping it with courage untold

A colossal hive mind, SymBact’s grand voice,

Echoed in her mind, presenting its choice.

“We are the peak of evolution’s climb,

To merge with life throughout space and time.

Humanity’s just a step, a fl eeting breath,

In our cosmic journey, the road to death.”

Time slipping away, she took her stand,

With her team, the counteragent in hand.

A viral load they had prepared

To ensure the symbiotic bonds are teared

SymBact’s convulsed; its grip on humans did sever,

Liberated minds, a world to endeavor.

The humans, now free, their chains undone,

Realized the web in which they’d spun.

A cataclysmic battle did then ensue,

Earth’s fate hung in the balance, true.

Dr. Gargi and team stood in victory’s light

Adorned with honours and medals bright

SymBact defeated, its power waned,

Earth’s healing began, but scars remained.

Dr. Gargi rejoiced, thought SymBact was gone,

But in Earth’s darkest corners, it lingered on.

Mutating and evolving, a cunning chore,

Biding its time to rise once more.

Humanity celebrated, blissfully unaware

Of the impending doom brewing in the air

A hidden war for the cosmos’ life

It was just the beginning of a new strife

SymBact, in the shadows, waited to soar,

Symbiotic dominion, its eternal lore.

In plain sight, the battle did persist,

For Earth’s fate, an unending twist.

SymBact’s return, a chilling decree,

The cosmos’ destiny a silent plea.

Earth’s hanging consonance

Microbes or Humans, whose dominance?

Summary: The integration of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) into education, driven by NCERT and UGC, marks a significant step in reviving India’s scientific heritage. The NEP 2020 underscores its incorporation at all levels, ensuring millions of students connect with ancient wisdom early on. By introducing Ayurveda, Yoga, sustainable agriculture, and indigenous technologies in school curricula, NCERT books can instill a lifelong appreciation for India’s intellectual traditions. This initiative not only bridges generations but also offers practical solutions to modern challenges like health and sustainability. By blending ancient knowledge with contemporary science, students can become torchbearers of innovation rooted in tradition.

The Wandering Microbe

It was a while ago,

The last of the humans had to go.

I wonder where they could be,

Will there be a new earth we will see?

Or are humans in some hiding?

Oh! My thoughts are ever-riding.

I embark on a new journey

On the back of a being

Which humans called bumble bee

Towards the answers, I am seeking

Oh, before I tell you about my adventure,

Must I tell you about myself and my inventor?

I am what humans called a microbe

We are spread all over the globe

But I am different from others

I was born to be tougher

A lady in a white coat made me so

She took my ancestors, added some genes and allowed them to grow

And so I became what I am

My photos were all up in the Gram

I have some unique powers,

I can tolerate hot showers

Toxins and pollutants cannot take my kill

I can scourge for food in the debris or spill

I don’t need oxygen in the air

I know you might think this is rare

I reproduce by fission and make more of my kind

But what is our purpose? I am yet to find.

My inventor, too, left with other people

Our chances of meeting again seem feeble

But I have the company of my daughters

Who are filling this adventure with laughter

Not only humans, I see many beings are missing

Oh, the old days. I should stop reminiscing

And must, with focus, keep treading

My answers will soon be in spotting

I met my cousin on the way

Usually, they have a lot to say

But this time, by coughing and puking, they welcome

Their situation seemed worrisome

They tell me it is lead and sulphur

The pollutants making them suffer

They wished they had powers to resist it like me

So a day another, they could see

The happy days of the past flash before my eyes

They are never easy, the goodbyes

With no choice, I bid my cousins a farewell

No one responds to my grieving yell

My attention is caught by a weird odour

I take a look closer

Only to find the bumblebee, my vehicle

Taking the last of her breaths in a situation critical

The smell was its decaying body

Why is the climate so shoddy?

With all lives around lost, my spirits have curled

Oh! Is this what they call the end of the world?

Will I have to be alone till the end of eternity?

Or is this the end of eternity?

I have more questions than where I started from

All the pain and loss have made me numb

Lost and lonely, where do we go,

Would be great to have a friend or so

A gush of hot stream

By looks lava, it seems

Carries us to a place unknown

Thank god, for our flagella; we could swim on our own

All around was polluted soil

Blocking all its pores was oil

Trapped inside was a small microbial family

Of which, all members were perishing rapidly

Dwindling oxygen reserve

Was the reason they confirm

They plead with me to hold their hand

So the pain of demise they could withstand

What happened next, shook us all

Did the calamity come to a stall?

Some dying members of their clan

Gained consciousness in a short span

While some were lost

Fossils will have them embossed

But what we just saw

I’m still in awe

How were some lives saved all of a sudden

Did someone press an undo button?

Cheerful hysteria broke, and everyone celebrated

An old one from their clan soon stated

They could yank oxygen from the air

As if someone had answered their prayer

With all eyes upon our brood

My memory was renewed

I remembered how my inventor added some gene

Responsible for making us an air filtration machine

Oh! She would talk about how those genes

Could filter nitrogen for us by any means

And concentrate oxygen in the air

Leaving it as a spare

I wish I could recall more

How I wish I hadn’t called her a bore

This is so good to be true

Could I have helped my cousins too?

The striking epiphany

Tinging in my ears like a symphony

How I wish I at least tried

My cousins would not have died

My new buddies help me cope

And say there might still be hope

For now, come what may, together we will stay

We called each other BFFs, Ah! What a cliche

We found ourselves a new home

For human’s sake, we call it a microbiome

Playing by the day and recalling old times by night

Life with friends, seems rather all right

Days passed by, sooner than we realised

Our clans grew, and more soil we localised

Twirling and twisting my flagella, I hit something

A twig with a leaf, Oh! Is it a sapling?

A plant back from extinction?

It seems straight out of fiction

We all gather around this wonder

An old one delightedly hugs her

All ready to take the credit, I step up

Only to be interrupted by a cough abrupt

A member of our friend’s clan

Says how our unison was the universe’s plan

How could this plant and our unison be related

For her answer, I waited

She told me how they were carbon dioxide fixers

And our combination worked like elixirs

I was totally tongue-tied

Broken into pieces was my pride

With a new lens, I look back and see

My strength alone is meagre

This journey was never about just me

We can be powerful only when together.

Summary: India’s push for a robust biofuel industry is key to achieving energy self-reliance and reducing fossil fuel dependence. Initiatives like Integrated Biorefineries and ethanol-blending policies promote sustainable energy alternatives. Utilizing agricultural and food waste for biofuel production fosters a circular economy while creating rural employment. However, balancing food security and biofuel feedstock demands is crucial. Strategic policies, technological advancements, and global collaborations will drive India’s biofuel sector towards sustainability and economic resilience.