Environment & Ecology
Climate, biodiversity, pollution control and environmental legislation
Climate-hit Kashmir saffron farmers battle rising porcupine menace
Saffron farmers in Kashmir's Pampore region — the world's primary source of Kashmiri saffron — are facing mounting losses from the Indian crested porcupine (...
Wildlife trade is driving disease outbreaks globally — raising risk of pathogens reaching humans by 50%, finds study
A peer-reviewed study published in the journal Science (April 2026) found that wild mammals involved in trade have a 50% higher probability of sharing at lea...
Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (April 14, 2026)
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) addressed three major environmental enforcement cases on April 14, 2026, spanning industrial pollution, solid waste managem...
‘Project Caracal’ aims to strengthen efforts for conservation of rare wild cat across Rajasthan
The Rajasthan forest department launched 'Project Caracal' at the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve during a 'Caracal Conservation Workshop' on April 15, 2026. The i...
Delhi-Dehradun Expressway opens today: Key features, 11 km wildlife corridor explained
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway on April 14, 2026, opening the full 210 km access-controlled corridor between Delhi an...
Meghalaya yields new burrowing reed snake
Scientists from multiple institutions have discovered a new species of burrowing reed snake in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, naming it Calamaria...
India set to emerge as world’s 2nd largest solar market in 2026: NSEFI
India has crossed the 150 GW solar capacity milestone, achieving the fastest-ever addition of 50 GW of solar capacity in just 14 months (up from 100 GW to 15...
Oil supply fell by 10 million barrels per day in March. IEA raises alarm over largest disruption ever
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has characterised the ongoing oil supply disruption as the largest in history, with approximately 10.1 million barrels ...
NAAS calls for developing smart alternate fertilisers to achieve self sufficiency
The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) has called for developing "smart alternate fertilisers" to reduce India's dependence on imported chemica...
Weak grid infrastructure, land access, financial barriers for developers slowed PM-KUSUM's progress: Study
A study has identified weak grid infrastructure, land access constraints, and financial barriers for developers as the key reasons PM-KUSUM's solar capacity ...
Kharif season faces "double whammy" from El Nino risk and Gulf tensions: Experts
Experts have flagged a "double whammy" threatening India's 2026 Kharif agricultural season: a likely below-normal monsoon linked to El Niño, and sharply high...
El Nino threat looms large as data shows strong link to weak monsoons
Global climate agencies have issued warnings about a likely El Niño event developing in summer 2026, with the potential for it to be stronger than earlier fo...
Amid a looming spectre of El Nino, IMD says monsoon likely to be 'below normal'
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted the 2026 southwest monsoon will be "below normal," with rainfall forecast at 92% of the Long Period A...
Monsoon poor in every 7 out of 10 El Nino years
Historical analysis of El Niño years since 1980 shows that approximately 70% of El Niño years coincided with deficient or below-normal Indian summer monsoon ...
A strategic ethanol shift amid West Asia tensions
With elevated oil prices triggered by the West Asia conflict and growing uncertainty over Strait of Hormuz transit, India's ethanol blending programme has em...
IMF, World Bank, IEA urge countries to stop hoarding energy supplies, imposing export controls
The International Energy Agency (IEA), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Bank Group jointly formed a coordination group to manage the global econo...
South West Monsoon rainfall to be below normal or deficient in 2026
IMD's April 2026 forecast classifies the upcoming southwest monsoon as "below normal or deficient," with projected rainfall at 92% of the Long Period Average...
Kerala University researchers develop high-efficiency, lead-free solar cell
Researchers at Kerala University have developed a high-efficiency perovskite solar cell that replaces toxic lead with a combination of tin and rare earth met...
Can the apex court’s high-powered panel file a report that prioritises conservation and protection of the Aravallis?
The Supreme Court constituted a 10-member High Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) in March 2026 to redefine the Aravalli hills — a decision that followed the Co...
West Asia Conflict: Govt hints at 21% ethanol blending
With West Asia tensions disrupting global oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, the Indian government has signalled it is considering raising the ethano...