Tiger Deaths in Kanha Tiger Reserve: A tigress and her four cubs have died in Kanha Tiger Reserve, with wildlife officials suspecting an outbreak of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) linked to lung infection.Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting carnivores, causing respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurological symptoms, spreading through direct contact or […]
Category: Environment Current Affairs
Great Himalayan National Park
Great Himalayan National Park: The Ministry of Environment recently declared a 326.69 sq.km. area around the Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh as an eco-sensitive zone. It is a high altitude national park located in Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh.\ Nestled in the far Western Himalayas, the park comprises four valleys: the Tirthan Valley, […]
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board : In News
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board : In News The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has issued permission for “major equipment erection” at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) Units 5 and 6. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board is India’s premier regulatory authority for nuclear and radiation safety. It was constituted on November 15, 1983, by the President of […]
Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary
Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary: Ten years after it was notified as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ), a committee of monks recently demanded scrapping of this conservation status for the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary that houses 54 lions so that all religious activities can be organized freely. It is located in the Junagadh district of Gujarat. It spans the […]
Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Critical Mineral Recycling
Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Critical Mineral Recycling: The Ministry of Mines has approved 58 companies under the Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Critical Mineral Recycling as eligible for participation. It is part of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), which is aimed at building the domestic capacity of and supply chain resilience in critical […]
India’s 1st Green Methanol Production Plant
India’s 1st Green Methanol Production Plant: The invasive shrub Prosopis juliflora, which has long threatened biodiversity in Kutch’s Banni Grasslands, is set to be used as feedstock for India’s first green methanol production plant. The plant at Deendayal Port Authority, Gujarat, will have an initial capacity of 5 tonnes per day and use gasification technology […]
Platypus : New Fossils
Platypus : New Fossils New fossils from South Australia reveal a new species of ancient platypus that still had teeth – something modern platypuses lost long ago. The platypus is a semi-aquatic egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia. Scientific Name: Ornithorhynchus anatinus Platypuses occur in freshwater systems from tropical rainforest lowlands and plateaus of far […]
New Species of Fireflies
New Species of Fireflies: Scientists recently discovered two previously unknown species of fireflies named Diaphanes meghalayanus and Diaphanes mawlynnong in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills, marking the first formal documentation of such insects from the state. They are two new species of fireflies. They were discovered in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills. Meghalayanus has been named after […]
India Introduces Underground Coal Gasification
India Introduces Underground Coal Gasification: The Ministry of Coal signed Coal Mine/Block Production and Development Agreements (CMDPAs) with successful bidders for four coal mines, marking the first-ever inclusion of Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) provisions in India’s commercial coal mining framework. UCG is an in-situ technology that converts coal into synthetic gas (syngas) underground within the […]
Eyespots in Marine Animals
Eyespots in Marine Animals: A recent study published in the journal Nature explains the evolutionary reasons behind the presence of “eyespots” in marine animals like skates and rays, used as a defence against predators. Eyespots are conspicuous, eye-like circular markings found on some animals that act as a visual defence mechanism by confusing, intimidating, or […]
