PIB Corner

RBI Selects 2 Startups as a Part of its Regulatory Sandbox Programme The Reserve Bank of India has selected two startups as a part of its regulatory sandbox programme. The two companies are Jaipur based Natural Support Consultancy Services Private Limited and New Delhi based Nucleus Software Exports Limited. While the

Draft Model Act on Land Titles

NITI Aayog has released the draft model act and rules for states for regulation on conclusive land titling with an aim to reduce litigations and ease the land acquisition process for infrastructure projects. Salient Features It provides state governments power to order for establishment, administration and management of a system of title

Saffron Cultivation in Northeast

A pilot project by North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an autonomous body under the DST has yielded successful results in Yangyang village of South Sikkim, which produced its first crop of saffron. In India, Saffron cultivation has been restricted to a limited geographical area in J&K, mainly

World Fisheries Day

World Fisheries Day is celebrated on 21st November every year to demonstrate solidarity with all fisherfolk, fish farmers and concerned stakeholders throughout the world. It started in 1997 where “World Forum of Fish Harvesters & Fish Workers” met at New Delhi leading to formation of “World Fisheries Forum” with representatives from

Bulk Drug Parks Scheme

Recently, Himachal Pradesh government has sent a proposal to the Centre seeking grant to set up abulk drug parkin Una. It has identified around 1,400 acres in Una district and vying for the allotment of a bulk drug park under a central government scheme announced earlier this year for setting

DIPAM Signs Agreement with World Bank on Asset Monetisation

On 16 November, 2020, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) signed an agreement with the World Bank to provide advisory services for asset monetization. The project aims at supporting the development of operational guidelines and capacity building for its implementation. Key Highlights The central government has set a target

Revamping of Scheme for Financial Support to PPP in Infrastructure

On 11th November, 2020, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Continuation and Revamping of the Scheme for Financial Support to Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Infrastructure Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme till 2024-25.It seeks to mainstream private participation in social infrastructure. The earlier VGF scheme was limited to projects

Gujarat Maritime Cluster

Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) is in the process to develop Gujarat Maritime Cluster at GIFT City in the state capital Gandhinagar in order to address logistics of ports and seaways. This cluster will initially consist of Gujarat-based shipping lines, freight forwarders, shipping agents, bunker suppliers, stevedores, and ship brokers with chartering

Luhri Hydropower Project

On 4th November, 2020, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved 210 MW Luhri Stage-I hydro-electric project in Himachal Pradesh. The project is located on River Satluj in Shimla and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh. It is being implemented by state-run Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL) on Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (BOOM) basis with active

RBI’s Internal Working Group Report

On 20th November, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the report of the Internal Working Group (IWG). IWG was constituted by the RBI to review extant ownership guidelines and corporate structure for Indian private sector banks. The Terms of Reference of the IWG inter alia included review of the

World Trade Report 2020

On 23rd November 2020, WTO released the world trade report 2020 online under the title- ‘Government policies to promote innovation in the digital age’. The World Trade Report is an annual publication that aims to deepen understanding about trends in trade, trade policy issues and the multilateral trading system. TheWorld Trade Report

Innovation Hub for Financial Sector

On 17th November, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set up an Innovation Hub for the financial sector and appointed Senapathy (Kris) Gopalakrishnan, co-founder and former co-chairman of Infosys, as the chairperson of the governing council for the entity. The hub aims to promote innovation across the financial sector by

Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor

Rajasthan government has planned two special investment regions along the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) to generate developmental opportunities for the State. The move is set to give a boost to investments, employment generation and development of the State with its construction work being expedited. About Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor(DMIC) It is one of the

Sahakar Pragya

On 24th November, 2020, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched the Sahakar Pragya initiative, which will train the primary cooperative societies in the country. It is expected to enhance the training capacity of NCDC through a network of eighteen regional training centres. The initiative holds 45 new training

Open Acreage Licensing Policy

A total of 11 blocks in 8 sedimentary basins covering a total acreage of 19,789.04 sq km has been awarded under OALP Bid Round 5. The OALP, a critical part of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy(HELP), provides uniform licences for exploration and production of all forms of hydrocarbons, enabling contractors

Negative-Yield Bonds

China recently sold negative-yield debt for the first time, and this saw high demand from investors across Europe.At a time when the world is battling the Covid-19 pandemic and interest rates in developed markets across Europe are much lower. A negative bond yield is when an investor receives less money at

Frontier Highway Project

The Government has been pushing for the ambitious Frontier Highway project along the “India-Tibet border” for facilitating faster movement of troops, along the border area. In the light of the recent Indo-China face-off in Ladakh(Galwan Valley), there is now an acute urgency to focus on border infrastructure. From a policy perspective,

Arunachal Kiwi

Arunachal Pradesh kiwis are the only kiwis in the country to have obtained organic certification. Arunachal Pradesh has the most suitable agro-climatic conditions for Kiwi Production.In particular, the Ziro Valley (located at 1,500-2,000 metres above sea level) is the ideal location for cultivation of Kiwi. Prelims Facts Organic Certification An agricultural practise/product is considered

Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0

On 12th November 2020, Government launched Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 to boost Covid-hit economy. It seeks to boost job creation, provide liquidity support to stressed sectors and encourage economic activity in housing and infrastructure areas. Key Measures under AatmaNirbhar Bharat 3.0 1.Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana It aims to incentivise the creation of new employment opportunities

PIB Corner

“Strategic Policy & Facilitation Bureau (SPFB)”: Policy Unit of Ministry of AYUSH The Ministry of AYUSH and M/s Invest India will form a collaboration to set up a strategic policy unit called “Strategic Policy & Facilitation Bureau (SPFB)” to facilitate planned and systematic growth of the Ayush Sector and to make

Haryana Reserves 75% Private Jobs for State’s Residents

The Haryana Assembly recently passed a bill to give 75% reservation in the private sector to job seekers from the state. Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2020 It aims to provide 75 % of the new employment to local candidates for jobs having salary of less than Rs 50,000 per

Arbitration and Conciliation Amendment (Ordinance) 2020

The government recently brought the Arbitration and Conciliation Amendment (Ordinance) 2020 to amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 and ensure that stakeholder parties can seek an unconditional stay on enforcement of arbitral awards in cases where the arbitration agreement or contract is induced by fraud or corruption. Need for the

Government Sets Up Committee to Review TV Ratings Norms

Recently Ministry of Information and Broad casting constituted a four member committee to review “Guidelines on Television Rating Agencies in India” notified by the Ministry in 2014.This comes after the Mumbai police investigations into an alleged fake Television Rating Points (TRP) scam by a few news channels. The present guidelines on

SC Asks Trial Courts to Consider Witness Protection in Cases Against MPs, MLAs

The Supreme Court has asked trial courts hearing criminal cases against sitting and former legislators to consider providing protection to witnesses under the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018 even without making any specific application for the same, keeping in mind their vulnerability. The three-judge bench of the supreme court issued the directive

Contempt of Court and the Role of Attorney General

Recently the role of Attorney General has come into focus with a spate of contempt cases seeking his approval under the Contempt law of India. Procedure to Initiate Contempt of Court Provisions The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, lays down the law on contempt of court. Section 15 of the legislation describes

UN Launches Food Coalitionto Prevent Food Crisis

Taking cognisance of the catastrophic food crisis precipitated by the novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) and the urgency to tackle it, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations launched a Food Coalition on November 5, 2020. Reason to Form the Form Coalition Threat to Food Security: The COVID-19 pandemic has

NITI Aayog’s Third Progress Report on Poshan Abhiyan

NITI Aayog’s third progress report(October 2019-April 2020) “Accelerating Progress On Nutrition In India: What Will It Take” warns that the National Nutrition Mission or the Poshan Abhiyaan, the world’s largest nutrition programme for children and mothers — must be stepped up in order to meet the targets set by the

Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) Ministry recently launched the ‘Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge’ for cities to develop and implement initiatives to improve the quality of life of young children, caregivers and families. Key Features of the Challenge The Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge is a 3-year initiative and it will support cities to

Char-chapori culture

A proposed “Miya museum” reflecting the culture and heritage of the people living in char-chapouris has stirred up a controversy in Assam. Char Chapori Culture Char-chaporis are shifting riverine islands of the Brahmaputra and are primarily inhabited by the Muslims of Bengali-origin (pejoratively referred to as ‘Miyas’). A char is a floating

Sarna Religion of Jharkhand

Recently Jharkhand government convened a special session and passed a resolution to send the Centre a letter to recognise Sarna religion and include it as a separate code in the Census of 2021. Currently, the census classifies people under six religions - Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist - while

Ancient Vishnu Temple Discovered in Northwest Pakistan

A Hindu temple, believed to have been constructed 1,300 years ago, has been discovered by Pakistani and Italian archaeological experts at a mountain in northwest Pakistan’s Swat district. The discovery was made during an excavation at Barikot Ghundai. Highlights The discovered temple is of Lord Vishnu. It was built by the Hindus

Lachit Borphukan: The Great Military Commander of Ahom Army

On November 24, Assam celebrated Lachit Diwas in remembrance of the valour and heroism of Lachit Borphukan, one of the symbols of resistance to the Mughal rule. Lachit Borphukan Originally named as Lachit Deca, Lachit Borphukan, the fierce and indefatigable Ahom Commander, was born during the early 17th century on 24th November

Right to Recall Panchayat Member

The Haryana Assembly recently passed a Bill which provides the right to recall members of Panchayati Raj institutions to those who elected them and gives women 50% reservation in these rural bodies. Haryana Panchayati Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020 The Bill allows the people of rural areas to recall village sarpanches and

Kerala Police Act 2011 Amendment

Kerala Governor recently signed an ordinance amending the Kerala Police Act purportedly to give the law enforcement more teeth to prosecute persons who exploit social media to target women and children. Reason to Introduce Changes The government had mooted the revision against the high-profile instance of a group of women activists taking

Indian Medicine Central Council (Post Graduate Ayurveda Education) Amendment Regulations, 2020

Postgraduate students in Ayurveda will now be trained and allowed to perform a variety of general surgery, ENT, ophthalmology, and dental procedures. The decision has come after the Central Council of Indian Medicine amended Indian Medicine Central Council (Post Graduate Ayurveda Education) Regulations, 2016, to include the regulation to allow the

E-Lok Adalat

To facilitate access to justice amidst the constraints placed by Covid-19 and various public health guidelines, the Legal Services Authorities have ingeniously integrated technology into its conventional methods of justice delivery. Online Lok Adalat popularly known as E -Lok Adalat is one such innovation of Legal Services Institutions where technology has

Goddess Annapurna Idol

On November 29, Prime Minister announced that an ancient idol of the goddess Annapurna, stolen from India about a century ago, is being brought back from Canada. This idol was stolen from a temple on the river banks of Varanasi and smuggled out of the country around 100 years ago

Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2020

The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, promulgated on November 27 has now become a law. Key Provisions of the Act Section 3 of the act makes religious conversion a cognisable and non-bailable offence, inviting penalties of up to 10 years in prison if found to be effected

One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance

In the wake of rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a global group called ‘One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance’ has been launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The group was created in response to a recommendation

PIB Corner

‘Mission Sagar-II’ As part of ‘Mission Sagar-II’, Indian Naval Ship Airavat is engaged to supply food aid to Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea. It follows the first ‘Mission Sagar’ undertaken in May-June 2020, wherein India reached out to Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros, and provided food aid and medicines. Mauritius,

New Peace Deal Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Armenia and Azerbaijan have signed a peace deal on November 10, 2020, to end the ongoing conflict between both countries. According to the deal, the countries will maintain positions in the areas where they currently hold. Russia intervened and negotiated a new peace deal between the two countries as they have

Governance Reforms Approved by Russia

Russia has adopted new governance reforms on November 17, 2020. The new Reforms are to begin from 1 January 2021 and proposed to be completed by April 1, 2021. Major Reforms A. Administrative Office According to the reforms, the staff within the central administrative office is to be reduced by 5%. The staff within

Defence Pact: Japan and Australia

Japan and Australia have signed a landmark defence deal on November 17, 2020 in an attempt to counter China's growing influence in the South China and Indo Pacific region. The deal is named as Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA). Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) RAA will allow Japanese and Australian troops to visit each

Civil War in Ethiopian

The Ethiopian government has declared war on the country’s Tigray region, which is ruled by the powerful Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), in response to its attack on a federal military base in Tigray.The conflict escalated when Tigrayan forces in northern Ethiopia fired rockets across the border into Eritrea. Background of

CARAT: Naval Exercise between Bangladesh and USA

The USA and Bangladesh navies have conducted a joint naval exerciseCARAT (Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training), which began on 4 November, 2020 to expand relationships and broaden maritime cooperation between the two nations. The exercise demonstrates US’s continuing commitment to work with the Bangladesh military to address shared maritime security concerns

India to build Shahtoot dam in Afghanistan

Recently, at the Geneva Donors Conference on November 24, 2020, the External Minister of India proclaimed that India will construct the Shahtoot Dam across the River Maidan. River Maidan is a tributary of River Kabul in Afghanistan. The Shahtoot Dam is proposed to be built in the Chahar Asiab district

India-Luxembourg Virtual Summit

Recently, India and Luxembourg held the first of its kind virtual summit in two decades, on November 19, 2020. Both the nations have committed for strengthening India-Luxembourg relationship in the post-Covid-19 world, especially in the areas of financial technology, green financing, space applications, digital innovations and start-ups. In the meet, India welcomed

Agreements between India and Maldives

India and Maldives on November 09, 2020 have signed four Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) including on the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP). During the bilateral meet, the Indian foreign secretary appreciated the "India First" policy of Maldives and said that it is strongly reciprocated by India through "Neighbourhood First" policy. Four

Malaysia hosted APEC Summit 2020

Recently, a virtual meeting of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum was held on November 20, 2020. This was the first time that all 21 APEC Economic Leaders met virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This is the second time Malaysia hosted an APEC meeting, having hosted one

G20 Summit 2020 held at Saudi Arabia

Recently, the G20 summit concluded on November 22, 2020hosted by Saudi Arabia.The theme of the summit was “Realising opportunities of the 21st century for all”, which mainly focuses on empowering people, safeguarding the planet, and shaping new frontiers. Special Focus on COVID - 19 The main focus of the Summit was on

BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy

During the 12th BRICS Summit, on November 17, 2020, the member countries of BRICS have adopted Counter Terrorism Strategy. For the first time, the bloc of five emerging economies have approved a counter-terrorism strategy aimed at strengthening linkages on combatting terrorism and sharing of “timely” information. The summit was attended by

India Attended 20th SCO Summit

The 20th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State was held recently on November 10, 2020. The Meeting was chaired by Russia as it holds the SCO’s rotating presidency for 2019-2020.The Republic of Tajikistan assumed chairmanship of SCO for 2021-22. This was the first SCO Summit

First India-Nordic-Baltic Conclave

On November 5, 2020, the first tri-group- India-Nordic-Baltic Conclave was held virtually. The title of the summit was‘India-Nordic Summit: Shared Values, Mutual Prosperity’. The Conclave focused on clean technologies and renewable energies, Artificial Intelligence, supply chain logistics and block chain led transformation. This Tri-Conclave was jointly hosted by Foreign Affairs Ministry and

MoU between India-Kazakhstan

India and Kazakhstan held 7thround of foreign office consultations virtually on November 17, 2020. Both countries have signed a Memorandum of understanding on “Indian Grant Assistance for Implementation of High Impact Community Projects in Kazakhstan”. During the consultations, the countries reviewed their bilateral cooperation within the framework of their strategic partnership.

UN Adopts India Sponsored Resolutions on Nuclear Disarmament

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted two India-sponsored resolutions on nuclear disarmament which aim to reduce risk of nuclear accidents and call for a prohibition on the use of nuclear weapons. The First Committee of UN General Assembly on November 03, 2020 adopted two resolutions which were sponsored by

PIB Corner

IMO Recognizes Indian Navigation System The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has recognized Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) as a part of the World Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS). Now India has become the fourth country in the world to have its independent regional navigation satellite system recognised by IMO. The other three

Hayabusa 2: Samples from Asteroid Ryugu

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency or JAXA’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft is all set to land on Earth. The craft is bringing soil samples from an asteroid called Ryugu and is expected to land in a remote location in Australia by 5th December. Hayabusa 2 Hayabusa 2 is a Japanese mission launched in December

Change-5 Lunar Mission

On 24th November 2020, China successfully landed a probe Chang’e-5on the moon.Chang’e-5 lunar mission will become the first probe in over four decades to bring back samples of lunar rock from a previously unexplored portion of the Moon. It will collect the first lunar samples gathered since the Soviet Union’s

Sentinel-6A Satellite

Recently, the Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite was launched from the Vandenberg Air Force base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It has been named after Dr. Michael Freilich, who was the Director of NASA’s Earth Science Division from 2006-2019 and passed away in August 2020. It is designed

Ariel Space Mission

Recently, the ARIEL (Atmospheric Remote-sensing Exoplanet Large-survey) mission was announced by the European Space Agency (ESA) for its next science mission due for launch in 2028. Key Points The goal of the ARIEL mission is to investigate the atmospheres of several hundreds of planets orbiting distant stars in order to address the

Desalination: A Panacea for Water Scarcity

Recently,the government decided to set up a desalination plant in Mumbai. The plant is being set up to overcome the problem of water shortage faced by the city in summer. The proposed plant will come up at Manori and is expected to process 200 million litres of water daily (MLD). The

mRNA Vaccines for COVID-19

Recently, a rush of interim analyses from pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech has spurred optimism that a novel type of vaccine made from messenger RNA, known as mRNA, can offer high levels of protection by preventing COVID-19 among people who are vaccinated. Moderna’s new mRNA vaccine is almost 94.5% effective in

QRSAM Tested Successfully

Recently, a second consecutive successful trial of the indigenously developed Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) was conducted by the DRDO, proving the performance parameters of the accuracy of missile system and capability of missile warhead.The successful tests have paved the way for induction of QRSAM Weapon Systems into

Sea Guardian Drones for Indian Navy

Recently, the Indian Navy has inducted two MQ-9B Sea Guardian unarmed drones procured from the U.S. on lease,under the emergency procurement in the backdrop of tensions with China in Ladakh. The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 has introduced an option for leasing military platforms.Similarly, at the 2+2 dialogue with the U.S.,

Varunastra

First Production unit of Heavy Weight Torpedo (HWT), Varunastra, being produced by BDL Vishakhapatnam for Indian Navy was flagged off on 21 November 2020 giving a major boost to AtmaNirbhar Bharat. It has been inducted by the Indian Navy in 2016. DRDO’s Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL) has designed and developed

Extended Range Version of BrahMos Missile

Recently, DRDO has planned for the development of an extended range version of BrahMos missile. The successful testing of the 400-km range of BrahMos was conducted in September 2020. A hypersonic version of the missile which flies at over five times the speed of sound is under progress and the target

Crew 1 Mission

Satellite to Detect Cannabis Cultivation The Odisha Space Application Centre (OSAC) has proposed to help law enforcement agencies detect the illicit cannabis cultivation in remote areas of the state, using remote sensing and artificial intelligence technologies. High resolution satellite imagery will be used for detecting

nOPV 2 Vaccine

Recently WHO has listed the nOPV2 vaccine (manufactured by Bio Farma, Indonesia) for emergency use to address the rising cases of a vaccine-derived polio strain in a number of African and East Mediterranean countries. Countries in WHO’s Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions are also affected by these outbreaks. It is

Dry Swab RT-PCR Test

CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has got the permission of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to commercially use the ‘game changing technology’ of dry swab RNA-extraction free testing method for the COVID-19 virus. It will help public health authorities to scale up the testing at

Microwave Weapon

Recently, there was a misinformation campaign that China had used microwave weapons in eastern Ladakh, where Indian and Chinese soldiers are locked in a border standoff for the last six months. But Indian Army has dismissed these reports and termed them fake and baseless. Microwave weapons are electromagnetic weapons

43 New Chinese Apps Banned in India

On 24th November 2020,the government of India has blocked 43 new Chinese mobile apps in the country, including shopping website Ali Express, over privacy concerns. The order was issued based on comprehensive reports received from Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center, Ministry of Home Affairs. Highlights of the Order The Ministry of Electronics

Conference on Criminal Finance and Cryptography

Recently, the 4th virtual Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies was organized by the Interpol, Europol and the Basel Institute on Governance. The conference is an initiative of the Working group on Crypto-currencies and Cash Laundering and it was established in 2016 by the three organizations for strengthening best practices

First Observation of Fast Radio Burst in Galaxy

After more than a decade of detective work, astronomers have found the source and genesis of fast radio bursts, or FRBs. NASA has observed a mix of X-ray and radio signals, never observed before in the Milky Way. Therefore, it is the first fast radio burst (FRB) seen within the

Centre Launches Initiativesfor Data Ecosystem of Cities

On 4th November 2020, government has launched two new initiatives, namely, the Data Maturity Assessment Framework to evaluate data ecosystems of cities; and an on-line training programme for City Data Officers (CDOs) of 100 Smart Cities. Data Maturity Assessment Framework The Data Maturity Assessment Framework (DMAF) - cycle-2 will support cities

PIB Corner

Roridomycesphyllostachydis: A New Species of Bioluminescent Mushrooms A mushroom documentation project in the forests of Northeast India led to a new discovery: a bioluminescentor light emitting variety of mushroom. The new species named Roridomycesphyllostachydis was first sighted in August in Meghalaya's Mawlynnong in East Khasi Hills district and later at Krang

Brown Carbon ‘Tarballs’ Detectedin Himalayan Atmosphere

Recently a team of scientists from Zhejiang University detected tarballs in the air samples taken at a remote, high-altitude research station in the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau on the northern slope of the Himalayas. Key Findings The researchers found that nearly 28 per cent of the particles collected from the air samples were tarballs. The

Government Constitutes Apex Committee For Implementation of Paris Agreement

The Government of India has constituted the Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (AIPA) on November 27, 2020, through a gazette notification. AIPA has been constituted with the purpose of ensuring a coordinated response on climate change matters that protects the country’s interests and ensures that India is

State of Food and Agriculture 2020 Report

About 1.2 billion people globally experienced very high levels of water stress, according to a flagship report ‘ State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2020’ published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on November 26, 2020. Highlights of the Report Some 520 million of the 1.2 billion people lived in rural

Sustainable Peatland Management Can Prevent Future Pandemics: Study

Sustainably managing peatlands — peat-swamp forests found around the tropics — can protect humans from future pandemics, according to a new study titled ‘Tropical peatlands and their conservation are important in the context of COVID-19 and potential future (zoonotic) disease pandemics’. Key Observations Peatlands are rich in biodiversity, including many potential vertebrate

MNRE Proposes Scheme for Development of Wind-Solar Hybrid Parks

The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has sought comments and feedback before November 28 on its concept note for the Scheme-Development of Wind Parks/Wind-Solar Hybrid Parks in the country. Reason for New Proposal The concept note aims to address a key issue faced by renewable energy projects, in particular

Lonar lake, Sur Sarovar Declared as Ramsar sites

Lonar Lake, the only crater lake of country in Maharashtra and Sur Sarovar, also known as Keetham Lake, in Agra, have been added to the list of recognised Ramsar sites. Now India has 41 wetlands, the highest in South Asia. About the Sites Lonar Lake is an endorheic or closed basin, almost circular

WWF Identifies 100 Cities, Including 30 In India, Facing ‘Severe Water Risk’ By 2050

A hundred cities worldwide, including 30 in India, face the risk of ‘severe water scarcity’ by 2050, according to a recent report by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Key Findings The cities would face a ‘grave water risk’ by 2050 due to a dramatic increase in their population percentage to 51

WII Survey Finds High Biodiversity in almost Half of the Ganga Main River

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in the second phase of its survey of the entire main stem of the Ganga river (the main river without its tributaries), has found that 49 per cent of the river has high biodiversity and that biodiversity sightings, including of the Gangetic Dolphin and

Five New Species of Vine Snakes Discovered in Peninsular India

A team of researchers from the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES) of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) recently discovered five new species of vine snakes during their study in various parts of peninsular India. Key Findings The team discovered that the common green vine snake (Ahaetullanasuta) in India was a complex

New Frog Genus Found in Andamans

Scientists and researchers from the University of Delhi and the Zoological Survey of India, Indonesia, Thailand and China have discovered a genus of tree frog found in the Andaman islands and the northeast. Key Observations The new genus ‘Rohanixalus’ is named after Sri Lankan taxonomist Rohan Pethiyagoda. This finding uncovers an interesting

Typhoon Goni: Asia’s Most Powerful Tropical Storm in 2020

Typhoon Goni, known as Rolly in the Phillipines, made landfall in the eastern Philippines recently almost a week after the Typhoon Molave which barrelled through the same region. Typhoon Goni was the strongest storm to have occurred anywhere in the world so far this year with wind speeds of up

Cyclone Nivar

Cyclone Nivar originating in Bay of Bengal , barrelled through Tamil Nadu with windspeeds close to 125-145 kmph recently.April-June and October-December are India’s cyclone seasons. Nivar was named by Iran according to the tropical cyclone naming convention. Another cyclone named ‘Burevi’ (suggested by Maldives), brewing in the southeast region of the Bay

First Snow Leopard Census Starts in Uttarakhand

India has launched its first ever census of the rare and elusive snow leopard population that mainly inhabits the higher reaches of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand but is also found in Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. The scientific estimate is being carried out by the Uttarakhand Forest department

Panna Tiger Reserve Declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO

Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Madhya Pradeshhas been included in the global network of biosphere reserves by UNESCO under its Man and Biosphere Programme recently.The UNESCO’s recognition cited PTR as a critical tiger habitat. The area has undergone substantial ecosystem restoration in the buffer zone. With only three urban centres

India’s First Moss Inaugurated Garden in Uttarakhand

The first ever moss garden in the country, spread across an area of around 10 hectares, was recently inaugurated in Nainital district of Uttarakhand. The garden was approved in July 2019 under the CAMPA (State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) scheme by the Research Advisory Committee of

Four More Biodiversity Heritage Sites For Karnataka

The Karnataka Biodiversity Board has decided to declare four more areas in the State as biodiversity heritage sites. Biodiversity heritage sites are considered unique and fragile ecosystems that can be marine ecosystems, coastal and inland waters, or terrestrial areas. Notifying an area as biodiversity heritage site will help protect the rich and

National Water Awards 2019

Tamil Nadu was adjudged the best state in water conservation effort by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, at the 2019 National Water Awards.Maharashtrawas the second best state in water conservation efforts, whereas Rajasthan settled for third position. In the same category,

India Climate Change Knowledge Portal

Minister of Environment,Forest and Climate Change launched the India Climate Change Knowledge Portal on 28th November. The portal will have all the major steps the Government is taking at both national and international levels to address the climate change issues.It will be a single-point information resource that provides information on

New Research Identifies 'Triple Trouble' for Mangrove Coasts

A study regarding the mangrove coverage was recently published in Environmental Research Letters which revealed that mangroves forests, their large biodiversity and the coastal protection they provide are under pressure from three distinct threats -- sea-level rise, lack of mud and squeezed habitatsbut still there is hope to salvage them. The