Environment & Ecology
Climate, biodiversity, pollution control and environmental legislation
World Bank approves $890 million for India’s rooftop solar programme
The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved an $890 million financing package to support India's national rooftop solar programme. The package com...
'Hydrogen future of transportation industry': Nitin Gadkari says trials under way on 10 routes
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways announced pilot hydrogen fuel trials underway on 10 transport routes across India, described at the Prawaas 5.0 a...
Desert rain frog, over half of molluscs pushed towards extinction: IUCN Red List
The updated IUCN Red List of Threatened Species now assesses 175,909 species in total, of which 49,505 are classified as threatened with extinction The deser...
How E20 affects your car and what’s next on E85 rollout
India achieved 20% ethanol blending in petrol (E20) by March 2025 — five years ahead of the original 2030 target under the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018....
Facing backlash, Government likely to delay higher 25% ethanol blend in petrol
The timeline for introducing a higher 25% ethanol blend (E25) in petrol is under review, with a phased, calibrated approach to the transition beyond the curr...
Beyond the rain hit, El Nino set to sap India's wind power output
Emerging El Niño conditions are projected to weaken wind speeds across India during the peak wind-generation season (roughly June-September, coinciding with ...
E20 fuel may damage rubber parts in E10 cars, said unpublished report
An unpublished study by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) found that E20 petrol causes deterioration in rubber fuel-system components — hos...
El Niño to dent India’s wind, hydropower output: study
A study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) warns that the transition from La Niña to El Niño between July 2026 and June 2027 could ope...
El Nino's heat test: India may face world's biggest energy system impact
An analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) projects that India is likely to face the most severe stress on its power system of any...
Auto companies may soon get to trade BEE credits for easier fuel-efficiency compliance
A credit-trading system has been introduced for automakers to comply with Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standards Under the framework, manufacture...
Kharif sowing picks up, but still 21% below last year
Total kharif sowing stood at 350.85 lakh hectares as of early July 2026, a 21% decline from 442.8 lakh hectares in the corresponding period last year Paddy a...
New rural employment scheme prioritises water security works
A gram panchayat-level planning framework was released for rural works under the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission, Gramin (VB-GRAMG)...
Climate change driving more local extinctions in temperate species than tropical ones, study finds
A landmark global study published in Nature Climate Change (June 2026) found that climate change is driving local extinctions at a higher rate in temperate s...
More biodiversity funding is reaching Indigenous communities. But who decides how it is spent?
At recent Global Environment Facility (GEF) council meetings in Samarkand, nearly 39% of new GEF biodiversity funds were allocated to projects led by Indigen...
Why ethanol is crucial for India’s mobility transition, an expert explains
An industry explainer examined ethanol's role in decarbonising India's road transport sector, framing it as one of the fastest and most cost-effective pathwa...
Endangered pygmy hogs released in India
The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (DWCT), based in Jersey, UK, released 15 captive-bred pygmy hogs into the Kuribeel grasslands of Manas National Park,...
India needs a second home for Asiatic lions
Reports by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have repeatedly highlighted that the entire global wild population of Asiatic lions is concentrated in and a...
Ground-level ozone: The silent pollutant behind India’s breathing crisis
An analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has highlighted ground-level ozone as a year-round air quality threat in India — no longer a seas...
‘Pyre protest’ against Ken-Betwa Link Project resumes in Madhya Pradesh
The "Chita Andolan" (pyre protest) against the Ken-Betwa River Link Project resumed in July 2026 in Madhya Pradesh after being suspended in April, with prote...
How El Niño could damage India’s economy | Explained
Meteorological agencies have flagged a significant probability of El Niño conditions in 2026, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) projecting monso...