What is Stockholm +50?
Context: Stockholm+50 is being held in Stockholm, Sweden. It will commemorate the 50 years since the 1972 United Nations (UN) Conference on the Human Environment (also known as the Stockholm Conference). Relevance: GS-III: Environment and Ecology (Conservation of environment, International Agreements & Groupings regarding conservation of Environment) Dimensions of the Article: What is Stockholm +50? Stockholm Conference, 1972 Issues […]
NTPC’s Biodiversity Policy
Focus: GS III- Environment and Ecology Why in News? Recently, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC Ltd.) has issued a renewed Biodiversity Policy 2022 to establish a comprehensive vision and guiding principle for conservation, restoration, and enhancement of biodiversity. Objectives of the Policy Support Professionals in Achieving Biodiversity Targets: The policy is designed to assist […]
About Sela Macaque
Context: A new species of old-world monkey recorded from Arunachal Pradesh has been named after Sela Pass, which is a strategic mountain pass at 13,700 ft above sea level, and the New Species has been named Sela Macaque. It was identified and analysed by a team of experts from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and […]
Relocation of Cheetahs
Context: India will be soon releasing cheetahs from South Africa and Namibia into the wild at Kuno Palpur in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. It will initiate India’s ambitious plan of transcontinental relocation of cheetahs. Relevance: GS III- Environment and Ecology Dimensions of the Article: What was the distribution of cheetahs in India? What caused the […]
Community Forest Rights
Context: The Chhattisgarh government has become only the second state in the country to recognise Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights of a village inside a national park. The CFR rights of tribals living in Gudiyapadar, a hamlet inside the Kanger Ghati National Park in Bastar district, giving the community power to formulate rules for forest use. Relevance: GS III- Environment and […]
Green Hydrogen: Fuel of the Future?
Context: At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas said India will emerge as the leader of green hydrogen by taking advantage of the current energy crisis across the globe. Relevance: GS III- Environment and Ecology Dimensions of the Article: What is green hydrogen? Why is India pursuing green […]
Norms Eased for Research Into Genetically Modified (GM) Crop
Context: Recently, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has issued guidelines easing norms for research into Genetically Modified (GM) crops and circumventing challenges of using foreign genes to change crops profile. Relevance: GS III- Environment and Ecology Dimensions of the Article: Highlights of the Guidelines What is genome editing? How is gene editing different from GMO […]
Phytoremediation With Hyperaccumulators
Context: A study published in the JNKVV (Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya) research journal concluded that heavy metal pollution of soil is “emerging at a speedy rate” in India due to industrialisation. Relevance: GS II- Environment and Ecology Dimensions of the Article: How does soil get contaminated? What are hyperaccumulator plants? How can phytoremediation with hyperaccumulators […]
National Policy on Biofuels
Context: The Union Cabinet has approved amendments to the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, to advance the date by which fuel companies have to increase the percentage of ethanol in petrol to 20%, from 2030 to 2025. Relevance: GS-III: Environment and Ecology Dimensions of the Article: National Policy on Biofuels What is Ethanol fuel? Ethanol […]
India’s Vulnerability to Drought
Context: A United Nations report has revealed that many parts of India fall under the list of regions that are vulnerable to drought globally. The report also stated that India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reduced by 2 to 5% between 1998 and 2017 due to severe droughts in the country. Globally, droughts in the same […]