Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India have discovered a new species of bamboo-dwelling bat in Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya.   Details – The species, found near the forested patch of Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, has been named Glischropus meghalayanus. The present discovery is the first report of a thick-thumbed bat not only from India… Continue reading Glischropus Meghalayanus

A team of researchers from the University of Delhi has discovered a unique set of fossilised dinosaur eggs, with one egg nesting within the other.   What are the observations? While eggs-within-eggs are a rare phenomenon, they are so far known to occur only in birds and never known in reptiles. Until this discovery, no… Continue reading ‘Egg in Egg’ Phenomenon

The Central government has announced a ban on single-use plastic from July 1, 2022.   Details – The Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change had issued a gazette notification in 2021, announcing the ban on single-use plastic. The ban includes manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of single use plastic items. The ban… Continue reading Single Use Plastic Ban

A one-year study by IIT-Kanpur has been sanctioned to review the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). This has been revealed by a RTI reply from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).   What is the need for review? Demand from various quarters — India had last revised its National Ambient Air Quality Standards in 2009.… Continue reading National Ambient Air Quality Standards

Global Wind Day or World Wind Day is a worldwide event that occurs annually on 15th of June.   What is it? It is organised by WindEurope and GWEC (Global Wind Energy Council). It is a day for discovering wind energy, its power and the possibilities it holds to reshape our energy systems, decarbonise our… Continue reading World Wind Day

For the first time, microplastics have been found in freshly fallen ice in Antarctica. Scientists argue that the pollutant poses a major threat to the region’s ecosystem and could increase the melting of snow and ice. The findings, published recently in The Cryosphere journal, bring to light a serious threat to the Antarctic region.   What are… Continue reading Microplastics

The Union Environment Ministry has said the 2022 Environment Performance Index (EPI) is unscientific and biased in its methodology.   What did the report say? Ranking 180 countries on the basis of their green performance on those indicators, EPI 2022 put India at 180th position. On the other hand, the largest historical polluter, the US,… Continue reading Environment Performance Index 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said that India’s bio-economy has grown eight times in the last eight years from $10 billion to $80 billion” and that the country is “not too far from reaching the league of top-10 nations in biotech’s global ecosystem.”   What is ‘bio-economy’? The bioeconomy, or biobased economy, is a new… Continue reading Bio-economy

At an event to mark World Environment Day recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned India’s efforts to create ‘green jobs’.   What are ‘green jobs’? ‘Green jobs’ refer to a class of jobs that directly have a positive impact on the planet, and contribute to the overall environmental welfare. Jobs involving renewable energy, conservation of… Continue reading Green Jobs

Multiple events of glacial advances have been witnessed from the Yankti Kuti valley situated in the extreme eastern part of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, since 52 thousand years (MIS 3) that synchronises with climate variability, according to a new study. NOTE – Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3) is a period between 60 and 27 thousand… Continue reading Yankti Kuti Valley