Environment & Ecology
Climate, biodiversity, pollution control and environmental legislation
Jal Shakti Minister’s remarks on Kaleshwaram trigger row in Rajya Sabha
Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil sparked a major controversy in the Rajya Sabha by declaring that over ₹1 lakh crore spent on Telangana's Kaleshwaram Lift ...
Vande Bharat Sleeper train: Indo-Russian JV ‘Kinet Railway Solutions’ completes first car body, prototype soon
Kinet Railway Solutions, the Indo-Russian joint venture between Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and Russia's Transmashholding (TMH), has completed the protot...
Bank locker theft news: 40 cases reported in PSBs in 5 years – check state-wise, bank-wise data
Over 40 cases of locker theft have been reported in public sector banks (PSBs) across India during the five-year period from FY2020-21 to FY2024-25. Compensa...
‘We seek accountability’: India condemns attacks on UNIFIL peacekeepers in Lebanon
India strongly condemned attacks on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, calling for accountability and the pro...
Govt. exempts Customs Duty for 40 petrochemical products
The Central Government on April 2, 2026, issued a notification exempting customs duty on 40 petrochemical products to protect domestic supply chains disrupte...
Yamuna, the river that became stagnant
A detailed assessment by Down to Earth documents the Yamuna's transformation from a living river to a stagnant, ecologically dead waterway due to compounding...
India seeks preferential market access over competitors as part of US trade deal
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated that India is pushing for "preferential market access" in its ongoing trade engagement with the United Sta...
Lack of inter-state coordination has led to rampant illegal sand mining in Chambal—SC-appointed panel
The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), a Supreme Court-appointed oversight body, submitted findings to the Supreme Court that the root cause of rampant illeg...
Artemis II update: Where are its astronauts? When will NASA's mission reach moon? All FAQs answered
NASA's Artemis II mission launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026 at 6:35 PM EDT — the first crewed mission to travel beyond low Earth orbit sinc...
Sandmining mafia are the modern dacoits of Chambal: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of India, hearing a suo motu case on illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary, described the sand mining mafia as "modern daco...
One battle after another: How India fared in the year of Trump tariffs
On April 2, 2026 — dubbed "Liberation Day" by US President Donald Trump — the United States announced a sweeping set of "reciprocal tariffs" on imports from ...
India ready to slash import duties, curb exports to secure domestic supply: Trade official
India's trade ministry signalled readiness to cut import duties and, where necessary, curb exports to ensure adequate domestic supply of essential goods amid...
Use of recycled plastic in packaging made mandatory, new rules to boost circularity
India has made the use of recycled plastic in packaging mandatory, with specific targets for different categories of plastic packaging taking effect from fis...
Indian cities’ heat action plans must focus on high night-time temperatures, study says
A new study published ahead of the 2026 summer season finds that India's existing city-level Heat Action Plans (HAPs) are significantly under-prepared for th...
LPG/LNG to fertilisers: CCS briefed, PM Modi says take all steps
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a second meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on April 1, 2026, to review the impact of the escalating Wes...
Orderly exit: On India and energy transition issues
An editorial argues that while India must accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels — particularly oil — it must simultaneously ensure that cutting de...
The rare whale species in the way of Trump’s oil drilling plan
A cabinet-level committee of senior Trump administration officials, informally called the "God Squad," voted to exempt all oil and gas drilling in the Gulf o...
In year NDA passed law to replace MGNREGA, 8% dip in families that availed the rural job scheme
The year in which the NDA government passed legislation to replace MGNREGA saw an 8% decline in the number of families that availed employment under the sche...
24 districts in Rajasthan to get electricity for irrigation during daytime
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma announced that Dausa and Karauli districts will now receive daytime electricity for irrigation in two blocks, rais...
India accelerates e-bus drive amid fuel risks, new 3k unit tender by June
The Indian government is accelerating the rollout of electric buses under the PM-eBus Sewa scheme, with a new tender for approximately 3,000 additional e-bus...