UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS

India has withdrawn its bid to host the COP33 climate summit in 2028, a major global conference under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released draft rules to manage tar balls, aiming to protect India’s coastline and marine ecosystems from oil pollution.

Recently, WWF-India, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, organized awareness and outreach activities in Gwalior to mark 20 years of Earth Hour, which is celebrated on the last Saturday of March, highlighting growing global concern over climate change and sustainability.

A recent report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) titled “Safe Disposal of Unused Medicines” has warned that improper disposal of medicines is emerging as a serious threat to both environmental sustainability and public health.

The Supreme Court of India recently took suo motu cognisance of media reports highlighting the ecological threats posed by illegal sand mining in the eco-sensitive zone of the National Chambal Sanctuary.

A recent study has highlighted the ecological role of the Spotted Hyena as an unexpected “eco-warrior” in the city of Mekelle, the second-largest city in Ethiopia.

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released the State of India’s Environment 2026, an annual assessment of India’s environmental conditions first published in 1982.

A recent interim update to the State of the World’s Migratory Species Report has raised serious concerns about the health of migratory wildlife globally. The report warns that nearly half of the world’s migratory species populations are declining, while a significant proportion faces an increasing risk of extinction.

The Karnataka High Court has issued notices to the Central and State governments regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the approvals granted for the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project (PSHP).

Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) technologies are gaining policy and industry attention in India as the country explores pathways to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors such as cement, steel, power, and chemicals. Unlike Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), which stores CO₂ underground, CCU converts captured carbon dioxide into useful products like fuels, chemicals, polymers, and construction materials — integrating emissions back into the economic cycle.