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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
That stinging feeling: Rising mercury, nectar shortages trigger bee attacks
Ravishankar Agarwal, a 70-year-old iron trader known for his punctuality and soft-spoken manner, stepped out of his car on an April morning in Kanpur for a morning walk. As he fell a few steps behind his companions near the tree-lined flank of the Cantonment area, a furious swarm of bees descended without warning. Agarwal's death, though sudden, was part of a quiet, unsettling pattern that has emerged across India in recent months. In just the last three months, bee attacks have surged and three deaths have been reported in Uttar Pradesh. Two of the deaths, including Agarwal's, are from Kanpur. The month of May alone brought at least six separate attacks across the state. Among the injured were two Indian Administrative Service officers, and a number of state police services officers in Lalitpur, Bundelkhand. A number of trainee forest guards in Mirzapur in eastern Uttar Pradesh landed in hospital because of the swarm in May. The bees, it seems, are not distinguishing between farmer or official, morning walker or forester. The pattern has become so alarming that the Uttar Pradesh government has now proposed adding bee attacks to its list of recognised disasters. In a recent meeting chaired by the state's chief secretary, it was proposed that victims of such attacks would be eligible for compensation under disaster relief provisions—up to ₹4 lakh in the case of death. According to the proposal, bee attacks will now be treated alongside incidents involving wild animal encounters and house collapses. Scientists, who study bee behaviour, see the recent aggression not as randomness, but as an ecological warning. The surge in attacks is directly linked to environmental stress, according to Dr Ankit Upadhyaya, an entomologist at the Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur. 'Bees are struggling to find food,' he explained. 'The flowering cycle has been severely disrupted by soaring temperatures and erratic rainfall. With fewer blooms, bees face nectar shortages that leave colonies on edge—starved, hypersensitive and primed for defense,' he said. The resulting aggression, he noted, is a stressed reaction to scarcity. When hungry hives are disturbed—by pedestrians, by traffic, by construction and by birds – they respond out of instinct for survival. In Kanpur, as in many urban and rural ecosystems, the bees are not just attacking, they're reacting. The scientists, who work with bees daily in controlled settings, said the signs of distress are not abstract theories but observable shifts. 'We're dealing with domesticated species here—Apis mellifera and Apis cerana—and even they're showing agitation,' said Dr. Upadhaya, who supervises student training at apiary sites in Kanpur. 'Normally, these bees are docile and don't attack. But with the rise in temperatures, they react sharply, especially during feeding. When we offer sugar concentrate, they sometimes swarm aggressively at first, then settle. That spike in hostility wasn't typical before,' he said. The behaviour is consistent in the field, Upadhyaya added, suggesting that environmental stress is overriding their domesticated temperament. 'Bees are under pressure—and like any species, they adapt under pressure,' explained Dr Akhilesh Singh, an associate professor at Rani Laxmi Bai Central University for Agriculture in Jhansi, who has studied bee behavior extensively across Nagaland and Bundelkhand. 'India hosts four main types of honeybees, but it's Apis dorsata and Apis florea that are inherently more aggressive. Dorsata, in particular, has a strong defensive instinct. It doesn't hesitate—it retaliates, and once provoked, the colony doesn't stop.' What makes Apis dorsata especially formidable, Singh said, is its use of biochemical signaling during an attack. 'Each sting releases an alarm pheromone—a scent trail that tells the rest of the colony to join in. It's not just one bee defending—it's a cascade.' In such cases, the initial sting isn't the end of the event; it's the beginning of escalation. Scientists point out that as food becomes scarce, bees are now swarming more often and covering greater distances than before. 'Bees usually forage within a three-kilometre radius of their hive,' explained Dr Upadhaya. 'But when flowers are fewer and nectar runs low, they expand their search—and that increases the chances of encounters with people,' he said. In many recent cases, the bees weren't defending a hive—they were in transit, unsettled, scanning for food. When hungry swarms feel threatened, even by accident, they respond with immediate aggression. The incidents in Lalitpur and Sonbhadra, where multiple people were stung, are stark reminders of this pattern. 'You'll notice many of these attacks are happening in areas that are less crowded,' he added. 'That's because the bees are migrating away from depleted zones and passing through quieter, more rural spaces where their movement isn't noticed until it's too late.' In east UP's Chandauli, a team of engineers came under attack during routine construction. 'Their equipment was causing 'kampan'—tremors or vibrations—which bees are extremely sensitive to,' said Dr Singh. 'To a stressed swarm, even the sound or shake of a drill can feel like a threat,' he said. Researches have looked at how rising temperatures affect bees—their flight, behaviour and ability to find food—but scientists say much more needs to be studied, especially in India. 'We know heat makes bees more restless. It affects how they fly, how active they are, and how well they can gather nectar,' said Dr Akhilesh Singh. 'But we don't fully understand what happens when this heat stress continues over time—especially in noisy, crowded cities where their natural habitats are already shrinking.' Most of the current studies, he said, come from colder countries where bees face different conditions. 'In India, bees live in much hotter and more unstable environments. Their reactions may be very different—not just stronger, but completely different in nature,' Singh said. Both he and Dr Upadhaya agreed that India needs long-term research focused on local bee species, across different regions and seasons. 'We're noticing changes, but to understand them clearly, we need more detailed studies. Right now, we're seeing warning signs. What we need is a clearer picture of what's really happening.' Dr SN Sunil Pandey, a senior weather scientist at the CSA University, said this year's heat began much earlier than usual. 'In March, April, and May, temperatures were already six to eight degrees above normal,' he explained. 'Even when the daytime heat dropped a little later, it stayed high for most of the day. didn't get cooler like they usually do.' This constant heat, scientists said, has added to the stress on bees and may be one of the reasons why they've become more aggressive. The impact of heat is showing in flower fields too. CP Awasthi, district horticulture officer of Kannauj, a region known for using flowers to make itr (traditional perfume), said the rising temperatures have clearly hurt flower production. 'There's definitely been a drop in flower yield,' he said. 'Nectar production is down, and the pollination process has also been affected.' Scientists at the Indian Institute of Pulses Research, though not officially allowed to speak to the media, echoed this concern. They said bees play a crucial role in pollination, and that role is being disrupted. 'Bees have their own way to cool down—they buzz their wings 1,200 to 1,300 times per minute,' a researcher explained. 'But with constant heat in the air, even that coping mechanism is starting to fail.' Amid growing concern, scientists are also offering clear advice to the public—especially those venturing into forested or semi-rural areas. 'Avoid wearing strong perfumes or black clothing,' said Dr. Upadhaya. 'Both tend to attract bees. Dark colours can appear threatening to them, and scented products confuse their senses, making them more likely to approach—and possibly attack.' If a swarm does descend, the most important thing is to remain still. 'Don't swat or wave your arms. Any sudden movement is seen as aggression,' warned Dr. Singh. 'Lie down flat on the ground and stay motionless. Struggling only makes the bees more defensive.' Using leaves to gently brush off stings, without rubbing the skin, can help reduce the spread of venom. And if there's a water source nearby, take shelter in it—bees typically won't follow into water. 'These are basic steps, but they can be life-saving,' Singh added. 'The key is not to panic. Bees aren't looking to attack—they're reacting to fear.'
Mint
4 days ago
- Business
- Mint
The subordinate judiciary is an economic pillar India must fix
Imagine a small shop owner, Sunita, waiting five years for a district court to resolve a simple lease dispute. Consequently, she is unable to expand her business, which adversely affects her future. Now multiply her story by 45 million, the number of cases clogging India's district courts. What if these delays aren't just inconveniences but a silent economic haemorrhage, draining about 0.5% of India's GDP annually, or roughly ₹1.5 trillion? What if fixing our 'first centre of justice' could spark an economic and social transformation? These aren't hypotheticals; they're urgent realities facing India's judicial system and our country's economic future. Also Read: We need judicial system reforms to ensure swift disposal of cases The subordinate judiciary, handling 87.5% of India's cases, is the foundation of our legal system. Yet, there are 4,859 vacancies in lower courts, a backlog of cases and outdated systems that fail to harness the beast. The vision of 'Citizen First, Dignity First, Justice First' demands a reinvigorated district judiciary. As shown by global success stories, from Singapore's 80% cases resolved through mediation to Kenya's 346-day cut in commercial case timelines, efficient subordinate courts can boost GDP through their positive impact on the economy. India's district courts, however, remain growth inhibitors. To realize Viksit Bharat, we must confront four critical challenges and embrace bold reforms. First, solve the vacancy crisis: With 4,859 of 22,750 judicial posts empty, judges juggle 746 cases annually as against the global best practice of 200–300. In Uttar Pradesh, cases often drag on for five years, eroding the confidence of small businesses and deterring entrepreneurship. The World Bank estimates that reducing judicial vacancies from 25% to 15% can boost investment and business optimism. Kenya's reforms drew more foreign investment into productive sectors. There are many good practices that India can borrow to create a system that improves the quality of appointments. Our judicial services, governed by states, are of uneven quality. We need an All India Judicial Service on the lines of services like the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Forest Service that can attract good quality personnel for our courts. With the expansion of our law universities network, we have legally qualified human capital for the purpose. The proposed service could standardize recruitment while respecting state autonomy to ensure swift merit-based hiring. They would also be helpful for the early promotion of district judges to high courts, etc. Also Read: Tribunal reforms hold the key to efficient dispute resolution in India Second, investments must go beyond brick and mortar: The government's ₹8,000 crore spending on building court halls is welcome, but only 6.7% of district courts are women-friendly, which limits half the population's participation. The Prime Minister's vision of e-Courts, with AI and digital text-scanners to 'analyse pending cases and predict future litigations" is a game-changer, but fragmented digitisation undermines its potential. Thailand's digital case management cut delays by 40%, Malaysia's AI scheduling saved 15% processing time and Estonia's fully digital courts process cases 60% faster. India must integrate its e-Courts ecosystem into a unified platform linking the police, forensics and courts, as envisioned by the Prime Minister. This could add to GDP growth by easing the business environment. Also Read: Open Network courts can enable vast judicial process reforms Third, the three-year practice requirement for district judges risks sidelining diversity: Only 15% of practising lawyers are women, limiting the candidate pool. South Africa's competency-based assessments and the UK's scenario-based tests offer better solutions, prioritizing skills in new legal frameworks over rigid years-of- practice records. Estonia's tech-savvy judge selection boosted digital case management by 40%, a model India could adapt to ensure inclusive, capable courts. Fourth, case management needs to improve: Hybrid systems of digital filing alongside manual tracking exclude small businesses that are unable to navigate complexity. The Prime Minister's call for AI-driven analytics and a unified platform is transformative but underused. Singapore's Integrated Case Management System cut processing times by 35%, Brazil's e-process system reduced backlogs by 25% and Ghana's double-shift courts maximized infrastructure availability. India's 7,500 new court halls could adopt Ghana's model, while AI tools could slash disposal times. Also Read: A judiciary that refrains from judicial overreach can better serve the cause of justice Reforms carry risks. Digital systems may exclude rural litigants, fast-track hiring can compromise quality and budget constraints may strain states. India's linguistic and educational diversity demands that we avoid a digital divide. Yet, global models offer hope. Kenya's reforms cut commercial case disposal times from 465 to 346 days, boosting GDP. Singapore's mediation resolves 80% of disputes at the pre-court stage. Malaysia's AI tools enhance judicial consistency. A judicial transformation demands stakeholder synergy. The government must prioritize the modernisation of district courts. Bar associations should champion reform, legal aid groups can offer pre-litigation support and tech firms must provide digital solutions. The economic stakes are colossal. Judicial delays are too costly. The International Monetary Fund suggests efficient courts could add 0.28 percentage points to GDP per capita growth. Sunita's wait isn't just her loss, it's India's. Backed by Articles 233–237 and the Prime Minister's vision, district courts can serve India as an economic pillar. The question isn't whether we can. It's whether we will. The authors are, respectively, secretary general and research associate, CUTS International.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Amitabh Kant, bureaucrat behind 'Incredible India', steps down after 45 years of service
NEW DELHI: A bureaucrat par excellence, Amitabh Kant, who has to his credit several first-of-their-kind initiatives over a 45-year illustrious career, has hung up his boots. Before bidding a final adieu to bureaucracy and public service, he served as India's G20 Sherpa, and prior to that, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the government's top think tank, NITI Aayog. A 1980-batch Kerala cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Kant announced his decision to resign as India's G20 Sherpa through a heartfelt post on social media, expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accepting his resignation and for the trust placed in him in driving developmental initiatives that shaped India's growth trajectory. With his close associates claiming that Kant will definitely not stop here, as he still has a lot of energy and vision to offer, speculations are rife about his future plans. Many believe he might join the private sector, but nothing can be said with certainty. However, Kant himself has expressed a desire to engage more with start-ups, think tanks, and academic institutions in a personal capacity. 'I now look forward to contributing to India's transformational journey towards Viksit Bharat by facilitating and supporting free enterprise, start-ups, think tanks, and academic institutions,' Kant wrote on his X handle. 'After 45 years of dedicated government service, I have made the decision to embrace new opportunities and move forward in life. I am incredibly thankful to the Prime Minister of India for accepting my resignation as G20 Sherpa and for having given me the…,' he wrote in the X post.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Amitabh Kant, bureaucrat behind 'God's Own Country', 'Incredible India', steps down after 45 years of service
NEW DELHI: A bureaucrat par excellence, Amitabh Kant, who has to his credit several first-of-their-kind initiatives over a 45-year illustrious career, has hung up his boots. Before bidding a final adieu to bureaucracy and public service, he served as India's G20 Sherpa, and prior to that, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the government's top think tank, NITI Aayog. A 1980-batch Kerala cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Kant announced his decision to resign as India's G20 Sherpa through a heartfelt post on social media, expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accepting his resignation and for the trust placed in him in driving developmental initiatives that shaped India's growth trajectory. With his close associates claiming that Kant will definitely not stop here, as he still has a lot of energy and vision to offer, speculations are rife about his future plans. Many believe he might join the private sector, but nothing can be said with certainty. However, Kant himself has expressed a desire to engage more with start-ups, think tanks, and academic institutions in a personal capacity. 'I now look forward to contributing to India's transformational journey towards Viksit Bharat by facilitating and supporting free enterprise, start-ups, think tanks, and academic institutions,' Kant wrote on his X handle. 'After 45 years of dedicated government service, I have made the decision to embrace new opportunities and move forward in life. I am incredibly thankful to the Prime Minister of India for accepting my resignation as G20 Sherpa and for having given me the…,' he wrote in the X post.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Amitabh Kant resigns as G-20 Sherpa, thanks PM Modi for the opportunities
Amitabh Kant, who managed diverse assignments during his 45 years in government service, has resigned as the G-20 Sherpa. Mr. Kant, a retired 1980-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Kerala cadre, was appointed as India's G-20 Sherpa in July 2022, months before India assumed the G-20 Presidency. In a LinkedIn post titled 'My New Journey', Mr. Kant said, 'After 45 years of dedicated government service, I have made the decision to embrace new opportunities and move forward in life. I am incredibly thankful to the Prime Minister of India for accepting my resignation as G-20 Sherpa and for having given me the opportunity to drive a range of developmental initiatives and contribute to the growth, development, and progress of India.' Mr. Kant, who was the face behind India's G-20 preparations, said leading multilateral negotiations as the country's Sherpa has been one of the most significant milestones in his career. In 2023, Mr. Kant said India executed one of the most inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive G-20 presidencies ever seen in the history of the forum. 'We achieved unanimous consensus on the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, despite significant geopolitical challenges, managing to refocus the world's attention on critical developmental priorities such as digital public infrastructure, multilateral financial reform, climate finance, and women-led development,' he said. He said India held G-20 meetings across every State and Union Territory, which contributed significantly to cooperative federalism by beautifying and upgrading cities, engaging local artists and craftsmen, and promoting local cuisines. 'We also successfully expanded the G-20's scope to include the African Union, fulfilling India's promise and commitment to global inclusivity and collaboration with the Global South,' he said. Earlier, as CEO of NITI Aayog from 2016-2022, Mr. Kant said he had the privilege of being part of the transformative Aspirational Districts Programme, which uplifted 115 of India's most backward districts by improving socio-economic indicators and creating opportunities for millions of our citizens. 'During those 6+ years, NITI played a key role in pushing digital public infrastructure through policy, and helped lay the foundational groundwork for India's digital revolution,' he said, adding that through the production-linked incentive schemes to boost manufacturing and accelerate industrial growth, the Green Hydrogen Mission, advanced chemistry cells, and the Atal Innovation Mission, the Aayog played a key role in positioning India as a global leader in climate action, cutting-edge innovation, and sustainable enterprise. Mr. Kant said his tenure as Secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, now called the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, was dedicated to reform and liberalisation, with focus on ease of doing business, and the Make in India and Startup India initiatives, which continue to act as a framework for India's thriving ecosystem of manufacturing. Throughout his career, Mr. Kant said he has been guided by a strong sense of service to a place and its people. 'Kerala was the first home to my IAS career, and I drew deeply from its communities — initiating the 'God's Own Country' campaign, supporting the expansion of Calicut Airport, and working closely with the fishermen and women of Kerala,' the former NITI Aayog CEO said. Mr. Kant said he took everything he learnt and poured it into policies at the Centre — 'Incredible India' was born during his time as Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism because he saw what shining a light on India's diversity can do for the economy, ecology, and essence of a place. 'India has, and will always be, Incredible. In a small way, I have contributed to helping the world recognise that,' he said. Mr. Kant also said he is incredibly grateful to Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and S. Jaishankar for their inspiration, guidance, and trust. 'I now look forward to contributing to India's transformational journey towards Viksit Bharat by facilitating and supporting free enterprise, startups, think tanks, and academic institutions,' he said.
