Syllabus-mapped editorials, PIB updates, reports, judgments, and policy news for prelims and mains revision.
The article, part of Rohan Chakravarty's 'Green Humour' series, highlights the critical issue of India's disappearing pastoral communities. Chakravarty's work generally focuses on wildlife, nature conservation, environmental issues, and sustainability, suggesting an environmental perspective on the challenges faced by these communities.
Read analysisThe article highlights the crucial role of indigenous communities, particularly mahouts and cavadies from tribes like Kaatunaickers, Kurumbas, Malasars, and Irulas, in elephant care and conservation in Tamil Nadu's oldest elephant camps (Theppakadu in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Kozhikamuthi in Anamalai Tiger Reserve). It emphasizes their generational traditional knowledge, deep bond with elephants, and unique training methods, some without conventional tools like 'ankush'. The piece also discusses the ongoing challenge of human-elephant conflict, the efforts of Project Elephant by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the use of technology (like AI-enabled systems) for mitigation. However, it cautions that technology alone is insufficient and must be combined with on-field study, understanding the elephant's perspective, and involving all stakeholders for effective conflict resolution.
Read analysisThe article details the devastating localized floods in Assam's Sivasagar, Charaideo, and Jorhat districts, which were historically less flood-prone. It highlights the immediate impact on villages, infrastructure, and livelihoods, and explores the multifaceted causes, including extreme rainfall, altered river systems (post-1950 earthquake), deforestation, infrastructure development, climate change, and rampant illegal coal, sand, and stone mining along the Assam-Nagaland border. The article criticizes the unpreparedness of local administration in these 'low-risk' areas and discusses legal interventions (PILs, NGT ban on rat-hole mining) that have largely been ignored. It emphasizes the need for climate-smart disaster management, surface water management, and addressing the trauma faced by flood survivors in a state where floods are becoming more unpredictable and catastrophic.
Read analysisThe Supreme Court has clarified that its February 2024 directive, which mandated prior approval for mining within a 10-km radius of the Asan Wetland Conservation Reserve, will now apply to all wetland conservation reserves across India. This decision extends a judicial safeguard previously limited to the Asan Ramsar site in Uttarakhand. The clarification arose from an application by the Himachal Pradesh government, which had argued against the automatic application of the order, highlighting that wetland conservation reserves, unlike national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, do not have statutory buffer zones.
Read analysisThe article discusses the ongoing eviction orders issued by the Forest Department in the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve (ABR), particularly in Tamil Nadu, based on Supreme Court directives and Central Empowered Committee (CEC) recommendations. It argues that these evictions, aimed at removing alleged encroachments, are being carried out without proper implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, thereby perpetuating historical injustices against forest dwellers. The author criticizes state governments, the CEC, and the judiciary for ignoring key provisions of the FRA, such as the requirement for gram sabha verification and the prohibition of eviction until the recognition process is complete. The article highlights the conflict between conservation efforts in protected areas and the statutory rights of traditional forest dwellers.
Read analysisThe article analyzes Chennai's preparedness for the upcoming Northeast monsoon, highlighting the challenges posed by evolving El Nino conditions and a weak Southwest monsoon. It details the government's efforts in flood mitigation, including allocation of funds, formation of an expert committee, and ongoing infrastructure projects like stormwater drains and desilting. However, it also points out significant gaps in preparedness, such as incomplete projects, lack of coordination among agencies, funding constraints, and concerns over the environmental impact of large infrastructure developments like the Chennai Port-Maduravoyal Elevated Corridor and Mamallan Reservoir. The article underscores the role of unplanned urbanization and shrinking water bodies in intensifying flood vulnerability.
Read analysisThe article profiles Ed Miliband, the new UK Foreign Secretary, highlighting his strong focus on international development and tackling the climate crisis as core priorities of UK foreign policy. It details his past roles as Energy Secretary, where he strengthened the 2008 Climate Change Act, implemented the Low Carbon Transition Plan, established Great British Energy, and laid out the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. As Foreign Secretary, Miliband has emphasized climate change as a national security emergency, particularly in the context of European wildfires. The article also touches upon his diplomatic efforts to rebuild ties with the EU and strengthen the alliance with the US, while noting his opposition to new North Sea oil drilling licenses, which puts him at odds with the current UK Prime Minister.
Read analysisActivists in Bhopal allege that 68% of drinking water samples near the defunct Union Carbide factory are contaminated with faecal coliform, leading to water-borne diseases. They conducted tests after authorities failed to address the issue, highlighting the ineffectiveness of a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee responsible for clean water supply in the affected areas, a problem persisting since the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy and a 2018 Supreme Court directive.
Read analysisArvind Kejriwal has accused the Centre of coercing automobile manufacturers into silence regarding the negative impact of E20 (petrol blended with 20% ethanol) on vehicles manufactured before 2023. He claims that officials from nine auto firms privately acknowledged that E20 could damage nearly 30 crore older vehicles and reduce fuel efficiency, but none responded in writing due to alleged government pressure.
Read analysisThe article details the ongoing protests against the Ken-Betwa Link Project, India's first river-linking initiative under the National Perspective Plan. Villagers, primarily tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur and Panna districts, are demonstrating against displacement, inadequate rehabilitation packages, and alleged corruption in beneficiary selection. They also demand equitable compensation for related state irrigation projects. Significant environmental concerns are highlighted, particularly the project's impact on the Panna Tiger Reserve, including extensive tree felling and threats to endangered species like tigers, gharials, vultures, and mahseer fish. The government has responded by increasing rehabilitation funds for state projects and identifying additional beneficiaries, while dismissing some demands as 'invalid'.
Read analysisWest Bengal plans to reintroduce tigers into the Buxa Tiger Reserve in North Bengal on October 2, 2025. Buxa, the 15th Tiger Reserve established in 1983, is located in the Dooars region near the Bhutan border and has seen its tiger population dwindle. The initiative follows discussions with the Union Environment Ministry, citing successful reintroduction efforts like Sariska. While Sundarban is another tiger habitat in West Bengal, tigers for Buxa are likely to be sourced from areas with similar landscapes, such as Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar, as per National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocols for re-establishing populations in historical ranges.
Read analysisMassive wildfires have led to the evacuation of over 166,000 people in France and Spain, with fires raging near major cities like Madrid and Bordeaux. French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have mobilized national resources and sought assistance from the European Union. The fires, exacerbated by strong winds and drought, are explicitly linked to human-fuelled climate change by the World Weather Attribution group, marking them as unprecedented in scale for the affected regions. Emergency shelters have been set up, and FFP2 masks distributed due to harmful smoke.
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