Geography
Physical geography, resources, disasters and urbanisation
Cabinet approves Ahmedabad–Dholera semi high-speed rail project
The Union Cabinet approved the Ahmedabad (Sarkhej)–Dholera Semi High-Speed Double Line railway project on 13 May 2026 at an estimated cost of approximately R...
Global fire outbreaks hit record high as ‘unprecedented’ heat extremes loom, scientists say
Scientists have warned that global wildfire outbreaks reached a record high, with data showing that wildfires and extreme heat events are intensifying at an ...
Indian government hikes minimum support prices for kharif crops; raises paddy rate by 3%
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 14 mandated kharif crops for the marketing season 2026-27. Padd...
IMD unveils weather model to provide ‘block level’ forecast of monsoon journey
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) unveiled a new block-level monsoon onset forecasting model that will generate probabilistic forecasts of the monsoo...
Kharif reset: Farmers may ditch paddy and maize for soybean, pulses amid monsoon fears
As the kharif 2026 sowing season approaches, farmers across central India are shifting away from paddy and maize towards oilseeds (particularly soybean) and ...
IMD launches pilot weather forecast within 1 km radius in UP, national roll out in 2-3 years
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in partnership with the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), launched a pilot high-resol...
IMD unveils weather model to provide ‘block level’ forecast of monsoon journey
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) unveiled an AI-enabled block-level monsoon onset forecast model on May 12, 2026 — the first of its kind in India — ...
IMD to forecast monsoon arrival at block level to help farmers plan sowing
IMD's AI-powered block-level monsoon forecasting system was launched on May 12, 2026, targeting over 3,000 sub-districts (blocks) across 16 states with locat...
Coal gasification key to build long-term resilience against global energy shocks: Experts
Experts and industry analysts have highlighted coal gasification as India's most viable near-term hedge against global energy supply shocks, particularly in ...
IMD launches two AI-enabled advanced weather forecast systems
The India Meteorological Department launched two advanced AI-powered weather forecasting systems on May 12, 2026, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The f...
Maritime safety and security is of primordial importance to Indian Ocean Region: Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Sanjiv Ranjan, stated that maritime safety and security is of "primordial importance" to th...
Tariffs and rare earths: Lula da Silva positions Brazil as a global player in U.S. visit
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited Washington in May 2026 for discussions with the US administration covering trade tariffs, critical miner...
Tehran could withstand blockade for four months, CIA report shows, as fighting flares
A CIA assessment concluded that Iran would not face severe economic pressure from a naval blockade of its ports for approximately four months, suggesting lim...
Sleepless planet: Why nights are warming faster than days
Scientists have documented that global minimum (nighttime) temperatures are rising faster than global maximum (daytime) temperatures — a phenomenon termed "a...
Indus Waters Treaty: One year since Operation Sindoor, how India and Pakistan have approached deadlock
Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack on 22 April 2025 — in which 26 civilians were killed in Jammu & Kashmir — India placed the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) ...
Iran-Israel war LIVE: Israeli airstrikes kill five in southern Lebanon as Hezbollah rockets hit open areas in Israel
Israeli airstrikes continued in southern Lebanon even as a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon — in force since mid-April 2026 and extended thro...
Three of every four key Indian reservoirs are half-empty
Central Water Commission (CWC) data shows aggregate live storage in India's 166 monitored major reservoirs has fallen to 66.830 BCM out of a total capacity o...
From Western Disturbance to El Niño: The climate terms you’re hearing this summer, explained
As summer intensifies across India, several climate terms — Western Disturbance, El Niño, La Niña, Indian Ocean Dipole, heatwave — have become part of everyd...
Indian Ocean challenges must be met with cooperation, transparency: Union Shipping Minister
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways addressed the 10th Indian Ocean Dialogue, organised under the auspices of the Indian Ocean Rim Associatio...
Philippines warns Chinese research ship in disputed waters
The Philippine Coast Guard on 7 May 2026 reported that it had spotted the Chinese oceanographic research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 33 anchored approximately 7.3...