Environment & Ecology
Climate, biodiversity, pollution control and environmental legislation
India ramps up PNG adoption with over 5 lakh new connections
Since March 2026, more than 5.01 lakh new Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections have been gasified (supply commenced) and over 5.68 lakh customers registered f...
New draft rules soon on 'E85 & more' vehicles as government pushes ethanol shift
The central government is preparing to issue a fresh draft notification expanding vehicle test requirements from E85 to "E85 or more" (including up to E100),...
CSIR-IICT scientists demonstrate green biofuel route from sugarcane waste
Scientists at the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad, demonstrated an improved Catalytic Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) pro...
India’s forests could nearly double carbon storage by 2100, study finds
A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change projects that if India achieves its National Forest Policy targets, the country's forests could store ...
West Asia war: Impact of disruptions on global fuel supply, with potential for coal and n-power switch
The Strait of Hormuz, epicentre of the ongoing US-Iran standoff, is disrupting approximately 20 million barrels of oil per day — roughly 20% of global petrol...
Draft rules for roll-out of Ethanol 85 fuel to be notified soon
The central government confirmed that draft rules for the roll-out of Ethanol 85 (E85) fuel — a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol — will be notified soon, ...
Fish waste finds new life as high-value biomedical material
Scientists at ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Kochi, have developed a patent-pending process to extract high-value biomedical mat...
Aerosol, irrigation behind India’€™s slower warming than world average: Report
A recent climate study finds that India has warmed at approximately 0.2°C per decade, compared to the global average land warming rate of approximately 0.3°C...
Armed Forces eye biogas, solar to cut fuel use amid West Asia crisis
The Indian armed forces are actively exploring biogas and solar power projects on unused defence land to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, with a pil...
Ahead of ‘below-normal’ monsoon, build resilience and account for costs
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued its first Long Range Forecast (LRF) for the 2026 South West Monsoon on 13 April 2026, predicting below-norma...
Gene drives and malaria: how altered mosquitoes could reshape disease control
Scientists are advancing gene drive technology as a potential tool to eliminate or reduce populations of malaria-carrying *Anopheles* mosquitoes by spreading...
Deceptively benign: On retail inflation, oil-import-dependency
India's retail inflation (CPI) rose to 3.4% in March 2026, remaining below the Reserve Bank of India's medium-term target of 4%, but analysts caution that th...
Ethanol glut spurs flex-fuel demand
India's ethanol industry has built production capacity of nearly 2,000 crore litres per year, with an additional 400 crore litres of capacity under construct...
Study assesses risks from hanging glaciers in Central Himalaya
A new study published in the journal *npj Natural Hazards* (2026) identifies 219 hanging glaciers in the Alaknanda basin of Uttarakhand (Central Himalaya), c...
Govt. constitutes panel for implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026
The Andhra Pradesh government has constituted a state-level committee under the chairpersonship of the Chief Secretary to oversee the implementation of the S...
Govt says El Nino threat to agri sector manageable due to better irrigation and reserves
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued its first long-range forecast for the 2026 Southwest Monsoon on 13 April 2026, predicting below-normal rainf...
CAFE 3: Car prices to rise up to ₹1.25 lakh; ₹1.48 lakh cr industry impact
India's Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency Phase III (CAFE III) norms are set to take effect from April 1, 2027, running through March 31, 2032. Car prices ar...
In a first, migratory honey bees get ‘warm womb’ to stay back in winters in Kashmir
Scientists at CSIR-IIIM (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine), Pulwama, have developed a scientific wint...
Four cheetahs from South Africa arrive in Bengaluru, to be housed at Bannerghatta National Park
Four cheetahs (two male, two female) from South Africa arrived at Bengaluru's Bannerghatta Biological Park on April 18, 2026, under an Animal Exchange Progra...
Explained: Odisha becomes first state to launch Marine Spatial Plan. Here is what to know
Odisha signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) on April 16, 2026, in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan C...