Recently, a massive fire broke out inside the Sariska Tiger Reserve (Rajasthan). The fire spread and destroyed around 10 sq km of forests despite timely satellite warnings and the availability of a real-time mobile application-based fire response system. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warned in its annual Frontiers report released in February …

The maiden edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Maritime Exercise 2022 (IMEX-22) was conducted at Goa and in the Arabian Sea. The exercise witnessed participation of 15 out of the 25 member nations of IONS. The aim of the exercise was to enhance interoperability in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations among …

Recently, the Prime Minister inaugurated 5.21 lakh houses of beneficiaries of Pradhan MantriAwasYojna (PMAY)-Gramin in Madhya Pradesh. It was launched by the Ministry of Rural development to achieve the objective of “Housing for All” by 2022, the erstwhile rural housing scheme Indira AwaasYojana (IAY) was restructured to PMAY-G w.e.f 1st April, 2016. Objectives: To provide a pucca …

With space junk posing an increasing threat to Indian assets in space, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is building up its orbital debris tracking capability. In this pursuit, a space debris tracking radar with a range of 1,500 km and an optical telescope will be inducted as part of establishing an effective surveillance and tracking network under the Network …

Recently, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has said it would protect the ancient Buddha statues in MesAynak. MesAynak is also the site of a copper mine where the Taliban are hoping for Chinese investment. The Taliban’s position is in marked contrast to the time they ruled Afghanistan earlier, when, in the face of global …

Recently, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) launched the World Energy Transitions Outlook 2022 at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue. The Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) has become a leading international forum for key stakeholders of the energy sector. Energy transition refers to the global energy sector’s shift from fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption …

Recently, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) grouping’s fifth summit took place in Colombo, Sri Lanka (Host for the Fifth Summit). Key Highlights of the Summit The signing of the BIMSTEC Charter was the main outcome of this summit. Under this Charter, the members were expected to meet once every two …