ENV MISTAKES TO LEARN FROM:

A) ECOLOGY AND FUNCTIONS OF ECOSYSTEM

 Ecological efficiency can be defined as the amount of energy at each trophic level in
proportion to the next trophic level and the energy pyramid is only ecological pyramid
that explains the concept of ecological efficiency.

 Bergmann's Rule: Birds and mammals obtain greater body size in cold regions than in
warm areas. The tail, snout, ears, and legs of mammals are relatively shorter in colder
parts than in warmer areas.
 Allen’s Rule: it states that the body surface area to volume ratio for homeo-thermic
animals varies with average temperature of their habitat. For e.g Animals adapted to
cold climates have shorter limbs and bodily appendages than animals adopted in warm
climates.

 Rensch’s rule: postulates that in comparisons across closely related species, male body
size relative to female size increases with the average size of the species

 Jordan’s Rule states that, in certain group of fishes - found in the cold-water regions
have a larger number of vertebrae than those members which are found in tropical
regions. This is also called as Law of Vertebrate

 Gloger’s Rule states that within a species of endotherms, more heavily pigmented forms
tend to be found in more humid environments e.g.- near the equator. It is found birds in
more humid habitats tended to be darker than their relatives from regions with higher
aridity.

 The r/k selection theory are reproduction theories that explain the reproduction
strategies of species with respect to their environmental characteristics.

 R-strategist’s species often live in unstable environments where the slightest

disturbance can wipe out their population. So, R-strategist species, governed by
their biotic potential (maximum reproductive capacity) spend their precious energy
to increase their chances of survival as much as possible. Hence, they produce as
many offspring as possible, ensuring that at least a few will survive. It is no surprise
that these offspring are small in size; the need for numbers results in simpler, faster
organization of the offspring. They also do not depend on the parents for long, they
grow, move out and start reproducing on their own.

 K-strategists live under stable environment conditions. They have limited resources.
Their population has reached a specific size, and any uncontrolled growth will result
in the death of the entire population. So, they decided that they are better off
focusing their energy on generating a few, healthy, complex offspring that can
receive ample care so that they go on to survive till adulthood in a highly
competitive world.

 Daily responses of animals to light conditions are known as circular rhythms, whereas
the annual rhythms known as circannual rhythms. Circadian rhythms are internally
 driven or endogenous, are affected little by temperature changes, are sensitive to great
variety of chemical inhibitors; and are innate, not learned from or imprinted upon the
organism by the environment.
 The circadian rhythms have been observed in zoo planktons, polychaetae annelids, many
insects, most birds and some mammals. Planktons of sea and lakes also show diurnal
changes in their vertical distribution.

 Diapause can be defined as the physiological state of dormancy where there is no

development and most life processes are shut down. It is initiated during unfavorable
conditions.

 Hibernation is the state of minimal activity and metabolic depression. Hibernation is a

seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body temperature, slow breathing and
heart rate, and low metabolic rate. It commonly occurs during winter months.

 Aestivation is s state of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, although taking place

in the summer rather than the winter. Aestivation is characterized by inactivity and a
lower metabolic rate that is entered in response to high temperatures and Arid
conditions.

 interphase. The interval in the cell cycle between two cell divisions when the individual
chromosomes cannot be distinguished, interphase was once thought to be the resting
phase but it is far from a time of rest for the cell.

 “rescue effect.” It explains an increase in fitness of individuals on islands closer to the

mainland through increased immigration rates. Local extinction rates of species on
these islands are lower than on islands that are more isolated and farther away from the
mainland.

 “mullerian mimicry.” It is a form of biological resemblance in which two or more

unrelated noxious, or dangerous, organisms exhibit closely similar warning systems, such
as the same pattern of bright colours.

 “Allee effect.” It is characterized by a correlation between population size or density and

the mean individual fitness of a population or species.

 The important steps in the process of decomposition are:

 Fragmentation > Leaching > Catabolism > Humification > Mineralization

- Catabolism -: It is breaking down of complex material broken down into smaller particles
and conversion of detritus into simpler inorganic compounds. This process is carried out by
various fungal and bacterial enzymes by the process of catabolism.

- Mineralization -: It is the final step in the process. Mineralization is the process of the
degradation of the hummus to release inorganic nutrients.
  The adaptation is any attribute of the organism (morphological, physiological, and
behavioral) that enables the organism to survive and reproduce in its habitat.

 Morphological: Many desert plants have a thick cuticle on their leaf surfaces and
have their stomata arranged in deep pits (sunken) to minimize water loss through
transpiration.

 Physiological: Many tribes living in the high altitude has a higher red blood cell
count.

 Behavioral: Animals migrating temporarily to a less stressful habitat.

 Acclimatization. Both terms are about changes. However, acclimatization is the

physiological adjustment to the new conditions but it does not entail increasing species
diversity as adaptation does. For a trait to be considered as an adaptation, it has to be
heritable, functional, and increases fitness.

 Types of Food Chains:

- Grazing Food Chain: the primary source of energy is living plant biomass
- Detritus food chain: source of energy is dead organic matter or detritus. The initial energy
source for the detritus food chain is the waste materials and dead organic matter from the
grazing food chain .

 The rate of production of total organic matter during photosynthesis is called the gross
primary productivity. Plants use a significant amount of GPP during respiration. Net
primary productivity (NPP) is the sum of gross primary productivity minus respiration
losses (R) i.e., NPP = GPP - R. Net primary productivity is the available biomass for the
consumption of heterotrophs (herbivores and decomposers). Secondary productivity is
defined as the rate of formation of new organic matter by consumers whereas Primary
productivity depends on the plant species inhabiting a particular area. It also depends
on a variety of environmental factors, availability of nutrients and photosynthetic
capacity of plants.

 Local extinction, biologically known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon)
of plants or animals that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it
still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions mark a change in the ecology of an area.
  Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location,
such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone

B) TERRISTRIAL AND AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM

 a new study by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research has revealed that the
Amazon rainforest is emitting more carbon emissions than it can absorb. In the last 40
years, Brazil has lost 18% of its rainforest.

 In Tropical rainforests the flora is highly diversified. The extremely dense vegetation of
the tropical rain forests remains vertically stratified with tall trees often covered with
vines, creepers, lianas, epiphytic orchids and bromeliads. Undergrowth is restricted in
many areas by the lack of sunlight at ground level. As opposed to tropical rainforests,
temperate rainforests consist of mainly 3 layers of vegetation; canopy, understory, and
forest floor. The undergrowth in temperate rainforests is lush, consisting mainly of
mosses, lichens, and ferns.

 Boreal forests are principally the spread over 8 countries— Canada, China, Finland,
Japan, Norway, Russia, Sweden and United States.

 Boreal Forest soils are thin, nutrient-poor and acidic. Both because the weathering of
rocks proceeds slowly in cold environments and because the litter derived from conifer
needle-leaf is decomposed very slowly and is not rich in nutrients. These soils are acidic
and mineral-deficient due to movement of large amounts of water through the soil,
without a significant counter-upward movement of evaporation, essential soluble
nutrients like calcium, nitrogen and potassium which are leached sometimes beyond the
reach of roots.

 Neustons are unattached organisms which live at air-water interface such as floating
plants, etc. Some organisms spend most of their lives on top of the air-water interface
such as water striders, while others spend most of their time just beneath the air-water
interface and obtain most of their food within the water. E.g. beetles and back-
swimmers.

 Periphytons are organisms which remain attached to stems and leaves of rooted plants
or substances emerging above the bottom mud such as sessile algae and their
associated group of animals.

 Nektons are swimmers. They are relatively large and powerful as they have to
overcome the water currents. These animals’ range in size from the swimming insects
(about 2 mm long) to the largest animals, the blue whale.

 The benthic organisms are those found living in the bottom of the water mass. E.g.,
Starfish, snails etc.
 Coral reefs also require warm water conditions to survive. Different corals living in
different regions can withstand various temperature fluctuations. However, corals
generally live in water temperatures of 20 to 32° C.

 Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is the amount of oxygen consumed by bacteria and
other microorganisms while they decompose organic matter (not inorganic matter)
under aerobic conditions. The amount of oxygen required to decompose organic and
inorganic matter in wastewater by chemical reaction is called Chemical Oxygen
Demand (COD). The value of COD is greater than BOD because more organic
compounds can be chemically oxidized than biologically oxidized. clean water would
have a BOD value of less than 5 ppm whereas highly polluted water could have a BOD
value of 17 ppm or more.

 characteristics of Mangroves: Adaptation to salinity and to water-logged anaerobic soil

is high Require high solar radiation and have the ability to absorb fresh water from
saline water. Most mangrove vegetation has lenticulate bark which facilitates more
water loss, producing coppices.

 Desert Plants: even the stem contains chlorophyll for photosynthesis. The stems also
store water, so they appear pronounced and fleshy. These plants spread their roots far
and wide underground. Most desert plants are inactive for much of the year. During
dry periods they do not perform many water-draining functions such as photosynthesis.

 Cold water corals are found at a depth up to 6,000 m below the ocean’s surface, where
water is icy cold and the light dim or absent. They are also called deep-sea corals. deep-
sea corals don’t need sunlight. The range of size of deep-sea corals is very high. The
growth rate of deep-water corals is around 1-2.5 cm/year, whereas that of warm-water
corals is 10-20 cm/year.

 Grasslands occupy nearly 24 percent of the geographical area in India and are found
where rainfall is about 25-75 cm per year. Steppe formations occupy large areas of
sandy and saline soil; in western Rajasthan, where the climate is semi-arid, average
rainfall is less than 20 cm a year. In the central and eastern parts of Rajasthan, where
the rainfall is about 50 cm per year and the dry season is of six to eight months, dry
savanna grazing ecosystems have developed . Saurashtra region in Gujarat is
characterized by hot and semi-arid climate and typically thorn scrub vegetation with a
high proportion of graminoids commonly referred to as scrub savanna. These areas are
locally called 'Vidi.

 Kelp Forests are underwater ecosystems formed in shallow water by the dense growth
of several different species known as kelps. Though they look very much like plants,
kelps are actually extremely large brown algae. Kelp thrives in cold, nutrient-rich
waters, kelp forests are always coastal and require shallow, relatively clear water.
They are known for their high growth rate. Some varieties grow as fast as half a meter a
 day, ultimately reaching 30 to 80 meters. Kelp forests are recognized as one of the most
productive and dynamic ecosystems on Earth.

 Swamps are forested wetlands that occur around the world in riverine, lacustrine, and
palustrine habitats. They are different from marshes in a sense that swamps are
dominated by trees, whereas in marshes the plant life mainly consists of grasses.
Swamps are characterized by mineral soils and exist in areas with poor drainage and
sufficient water supply to keep the ground waterlogged, and they have a high enough
supply of minerals in the water to stimulate decay of organisms and prevent the
accumulation of organic materials.
 When dense, salty seawater flows into an estuary, it has an estuarine current. High
tides can create estuarine currents. Saltwater is heavier than freshwater, so estuarine
currents sink and move near the bottom of the estuary. When less-dense freshwater
from a river flow into the estuary, it has an anti-estuarine current. Anti-estuarine
currents are strongest near the surface of the water. Heated by the sun, anti-estuarine
currents are much warmer than estuarine currents.

 Tropical thorn forests occur in the areas which receive rainfall less than 50 cm. These
consist of a variety of grasses and shrubs. It includes semi-arid areas of southwest
Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In the
North, Montane wet temperate forests are found in the region to the east of Nepal into
Arunachal Pradesh, receiving a minimum rainfall of 2000 mm. In the South, it is found
in parts of the Nigiri Hills, the higher reaches of Kerala.

 Kolleru Lake is the largest shallow freshwater lake in Asia. Kolleru is located between
Krishna and Godavari deltas in Ellure district. It is a hot spot for migratory as well as
resident birds. Local vaddi community is dependent on this lake. Ashtamudi lake is a
natural backwater in the Kollam district in Kerala. River Kallada (forms Munroe Island)
drains into it. Lonar lake is an endorheic (closed basin) crater lake formed by a
meteorite impact. It is high in salinity and alkalinity due to the lack of an outflow.
Kabartaal Wetland in Bihar is an important stopover along the Central Asian Flyway,
with migratory waterbirds using it to rest and refuel. Five critically endangered species
inhabit the site, including three vultures – the red-headed vulture, white-rumped
vulture and Indian vulture – and two waterbirds, the sociable lapwing and Baer’s
pochard.

 Cold desert/temperate desert of India includes areas of Ladakh, Leh, Kargil, Spiti valley
of Himachal Pradesh and some parts of Uttarakhand and Sikkim; rain-shadow of the
Himalayan Mountain systems; soil of cold deserts is sandy to sandy loam. It is neutral
to slightly alkaline, has poor organic matter content and has low water retention
capacity.
 According to Liebig's law, the limiting factor is the one that is the least available at a
particular time (e.g. prey or nutrients). It states that growth is dictated not by total
resources available, but by the scarcest resource (limiting factor)

 However, in an aquatic ecosystem, the grazing food chain is the major conduit for energy
flow. As against this, in a terrestrial ecosystem, a much larger fraction of energy flows
through the detritus food chain than through the grazing food chain. In the aquatic
ecosystems, most of the photosynthesis that occurs is carried out by the Phytoplankton.
Even Though phytoplankton are small, they grow very rapidly and they support large
populations of herbivores. This is the reason the aquatic ecosystems can support more
trophic levels than the terrestrial ecosystems

 Solubility of oxygen is a function of water temperature, salinity, and atmospheric

pressure. It decreases with rising temperature and salinity, and increases with rising
atmospheric pressure. Dissolved oxygen decreases exponentially as salt levels increase.
That is why, at the same pressure and temperature, saltwater holds about 20% less
dissolved oxygen than freshwater

 The limnetic zone is the open and well-lit area of a freestanding body of freshwater, such
as a lake or pond. The zone is dominated by plankton and therefore it is the most
photosynthetically-active zone of a lake/pond.

Trophic cascade is an ecological phenomenon caused by the addition or removal of top

predators which leads to changes in the relative populations of predator and prey through a
food chain. This often results in dramatic changes in ecosystem structure and nutrient
cycling.

 A Lotic Ecosystem (also called riverine ecosystem) has flowing waters. Example: creeks,
streams, runs, rivers, springs, brooks and channels. A Lentic Ecosystem (also called
lacustrine ecosystem) has still waters. Example: ponds, basin marshes, ditches,
reservoirs, seeps, lakes, and vernal / ephemeral pools.
 Thermal stratification is the phenomenon in which lakes develop two discrete layers of
water of different temperatures with depth. The warm layer on top is called
epilimnion and the cold layer below is called hypolimnion. Metalimnion is the middle
layer with a zone of gradual decrease in temperature.

 The Suspended sediments from the nearby urban construction, agriculture and various
other man-made activities, absorb heat energy which raises the water temperatures of
the aquatic ecosystem. Turbidity can also reduce light transmission through the water
and decrease photosynthesis by aquatic plants, consequently affecting dissolved oxygen
levels. Both natural and manmade wetlands have water purification functions. Natural
wetlands purify our water by trapping sediments and removing pollutants from water.
The Artificial wetlands are designed similar to natural wetlands to treat wastewater.

 Some plants that are adapted to dry environments, use the CAM pathway to minimize
photorespiration. CAM plants stomata only open at night, when humidity tends to be
higher and temperatures are cooler, both factors that reduce water loss from leaves.
They also absorb and store carbon dioxide in the night time. During the day, the stomata
stay closed while the plant uses sunlight to convert the stored carbon dioxide into
energy. Thus, minimizing water loss and photorespiration

 The intertidal zone is the area where the ocean meets the land between high and low
tides. These zones experience edge effects as Intertidal zones are transitional coastal
regions. These zones provide a home to specially adapted marine plants and animals.
Podzols are found in high-latitude coniferous forest belts having very long cold winters,
short cool summers and moderate precipitation throughout the year. These soils are
acidic, infertile and of limited value for agriculture due to the sandy portion, resulting in
a low level of moisture and nutrients.

 The pelagic zone is the region of a body of water (lake, river, or ocean) that does not
come in contact with the bottom or the shore.

 The amount of dissolved oxygen retained in water is also influenced by temperature.

Oxygen is less soluble in warm water. Warm water also enhances decomposer activity.
Therefore, increasing the temperature of a water body increases the rate at which
oxygen is depleted from the water.

 Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India has been published by Space
Application Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad

 Tropical Dry evergreens are found along Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
coast. It is mainly hard-leaved evergreen trees with fragrant flowers, along with a few
deciduous trees.

 At COP-26 in Glasgow, countries got together to sign the Declaration on Forests and
Land Use (or the Deforestation Declaration). Deforestation Declaration was signed by
143 countries and EU, which represented over 90 percent of forests across the world .
India was among the few countries that did not sign the declaration. The declaration
commits to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030
  IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) developed Mangroves for the Future in 2006. Since
then, MFF has grown to include eight institutional partners, plus a growing number of
countries

 India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021 is the 17th biennial assessment of India’s forests
by the Forest Survey of India, an organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

 Seaweeds are the primitive, marine non-flowering marine algae without root, stem and
leaves, play a major role in marine ecosystems. Large seaweeds form dense underwater
forests known as kelp forests, which act as underwater nurseries for fish, snails and sea
urchins. Budget 2021 has proposed a multi-purpose seaweed park to be set up in Tamil
Nadu as part of promoting seaweed cultivation.

-
 Benefits of Seaweed : Certain seaweeds possess powerful cancer-fighting agents.
Seaweed has also contributed to economic growth. Among their many uses in
manufacturing, they are effective binding agents (emulsifiers) in such commercial goods
as toothpaste and fruit jelly, and popular softeners (emollients) in organic cosmetics and
skin-care products. When waste from agriculture, industries, aquaculture and
households are let into the ocean, it causes nutrient imbalance leading to algal
blooming, the sign of marine chemical damage.
- These aquatic organisms heavily rely on iron for photosynthesis. When the quantity of this
mineral exceeds healthy levels and becomes dangerous to marine life, seaweeds trap it and
prevent damage. Similarly, most heavy metals found in marine ecosystems are trapped and
removed by seaweeds.

- On their part, the seaweeds derive nutrition through photosynthesis of sunlight and
nutrients present in seawater. They release oxygen through every part of their bodies.

 Global Coral Reef Research and Development Accelerator Platform has been launched
by the G-20 in 2020 to accelerate global research and development solutions to save the
corals worldwide. It will strengthen ongoing efforts and commitments made to enhance
coral reefs conservation and mitigate their further degradation. India intends to take
measures to enhance coral reef conservation under the National Coastal Mission
Programme.

 ‘Red Tides’ or harmful algal bloom is caused by a species of dinoflagellate known as

Karenia brevis One of the best known HABs in the US occurs nearly every summer along
Florida’s Gulf Coast. On the other hand, blooms in freshwater lakes and reservoirs are
most commonly caused by blue-green algae (also known as cyanobacteria).

 SEABED 2030 PROJECT: Japan’s non-profit Nippon Foundation and the General
Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO). It is the only intergovernmental organization
with a mandate to map the entire ocean floor. The project was launched at the UN
Ocean Conference in 2017. The Nippon Foundation of Japan is a non-profit
 philanthropic organization. GEBCO is an international group of mapping experts
developing a range of bathymetric data sets and data products. It operates under the
joint auspices of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and UNESCO's
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). The project aims to bring
together all available bathymetric data to produce the definitive map of the world ocean
floor by 2030 and make it available to all. Hence, it is for OPEN USE.

 Cetaceans, including whales, dolphins and porpoises, are known to be highly intelligent
animals. However, they do not adjust well to living in captivity. Confinement alters their
behavior and causes extreme distress. October 5 is currently celebrated as 'Ganga
River Dolphin Day' . ‘Project Dolphin’ to conserve both freshwater and marine dolphins.

 The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has carried out
coastal vulnerability assessment for the entire Indian coast at state level. INCOIS has
brought out an Atlas to prepare a Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI). These maps will
determine the coastal risks due to future sea-level rise based on the physical and
geological parameters. Coastal vulnerability assessments can be useful information for
coastal disaster management and building resilient coastal communities.

 The Niani Lake is the sole source of drinking water for Nainital town tourist destination
in Uttarakhand state. Increasing inflow of tourists, urban waste making its way into the
lake is adversely affecting water quality. A movement called the “MISSION BUTTERFLY”
was launched calling for action from the local community of Nainital.

 wetlands as “area of marsh, fen, peatland or water; whether natural or artificial,

permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt,
including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six
meters, but does not include river channels, paddy fields, human-made water
bodies/tanks specifically constructed for drinking water purposes and structures
specifically constructed for aquaculture, salt production, recreation and irrigation
purposes”.

 National Wetland Inventory and Assessment compiled by the Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO). It is an updated database of the wetlands of India. This publication
is a part of this national work and deals with the wetland status of a particular
State/Union Territory of India, through text, statistical tables, satellite images, maps and
ground photographs.

 “Green roads” having channels for collection of water for irrigation purposes have the
potential to address Himalayan woes. They are part of Ministry of Highways and road
transport’s Plan.

 Scientists warn of imminent mass annihilation of marine species similar to the Permian
extinction (~250 million years ago) that wiped out most lives in oceans and referred to it
as Oceans Great Dying 2.0. The Permian era, a period spanning 298.9 million-252.2
million years ago, was a time before the dinosaurs ruled the planet. Scientists have
found that global ocean temperatures were 10 degrees higher than today and Oxygen
 levels were 80 percent lower. During this period, land masses collided to form the
supercontinent Pangaea.

Low oxygen and warm conditions drove the extinction of marine organisms 250 million
years ago. Deep oceans are warming up. Ocean heat content reached a record high in
2021. Unpredictable Impacts: The exact number of species inhabiting the ocean world is
not known yet

 The lower tidal zones are pioneer trees like Sonneratia and avicennia. Above this zone
there are rhizophora, bruguiera and excaecaria-cereops forest (covering nearly 70% of
mangrove forest).

 Aphotic zone : Here only respiration activity takes place, here light levels are too low
for photosynthesis. Respiration occurs at all depths so the aphotic zone is a region of
oxygen consumption. It is also known as the profundal zone. Photic zone: Both
photosynthesis and respiration activity take place.

 Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are
about 30 different genera. Kelps have adapted to the severe conditions. These cool
water species have special strategies to survive freezing temperatures and long periods
of darkness, and even grow under sea ice.

 Forest Survey of India (FSI) is the nodal agency for preparing States of Forest Report.

C) ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION
  A recent regulation made by the Ministry of Environment has allowed Thermal Power
Plants to use coal irrespective of the ash content. The Indian coal has a higher ash
content of around 40 to 45%. The greater the ash content the more is the amount of
coal required to produce the same amount of energy. Hence, greater ash content
decreases the per unit output of the energy.

 Flue Gas Desulfurization is a technology to remove Sulphur dioxide from the gases
emitted from the fossil fuel-power plants. It can be done with a wet or dry process. Dry
Flue gas Desulfurization uses lime as a reactive agent to remove the flue gases from the
exhaust gases. Wet Flue gas Desulfurization involves the use of lime slurry which absorbs
the pollutants from the flue gases.

- Selective catalytic reduction is a technique to remove Nitrogen Dioxide from the flue gases.
It uses liquid Ammonia for this process as a reducing agent. Hence, Ammonia is responsible
as a reacting agent whereas Nitrogen Dioxide is the pollutant Scrubbers is a technology that
removes particulate matter from gases. It removes both the dust and gases when a polluted
gas is passed through the dry and wet packaging material.

- the Indo-Gangetic Plains have been identified as a hotspot of the Ammonia Pollution.
Ammonia forms an important part of agriculture and fertilizer use. Excessive use of fertilizers
causes the addition of ammonia in the environment. It has a positive correlation with the
temperature. there is a negative correlation between the agricultural emissions and the
total precipitation.

- Presence of organic and inorganic wastes in the water decreases the Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
of the water as much of the oxygen is used by the decomposers in the water body to carry
out the decomposition of these wastes. The Greater the Chemical Oxygen Demand less is
the amount of Dissolved Oxygen and the availability of the oxygen for respiration is
reduced.

- In the case of naturally acidified lakes, the concentration of dissolved organic carbon is
high. Anthropogenically acidified lakes on the other hand have low concentration of organic
carbon. The naturally acidified lakes are not transparent rather they appear yellow or
brownish due to the humic content present in them. The anthropogenically acidified lakes
on the other hand appear transparent with very clear waters. While the naturally acidified
lakes are well buffered, the anthropogenically acidified ones are poorly buffered with
some species of aquatic life missing or in very low concentration.

- Parthenocarpic fruit is the one that matures without the formation of the seed. Bananas,
cucumbers, grapes. Alcoholic ones carry at least one or more hydroxyl groups whereas the
non-alcoholic ones are alkaloids and contain caffeine.

- An increase in temperature can lead to the denaturing of life-supporting enzymes by

breaking down hydrogen- and disulphide bonds within the quaternary structure of the
enzymes. In fact photosynthesis rate approximately doubles for every 10 °C increase in
temperature. However, above the optimum temperature at high temperatures, enzymes
 are denatured and this will decrease the rate of photosynthesis. Higher water temperature
causes greater metabolism in the animals as they consume more food. Increased
temperatures also lead to migration of organisms from the areas of less adaptability to that
of greater adaptability.

- The rate of ultraviolet degradation of the plastic is more pronounced in the land than in
the oceans. With the same amount of solar light exposed to the sea and land, the
degradation of plastics in sea is much slower than land.

- Sanitary landfills are the improved version of traditional landfills which are lined with the
impermeable materials like plastics, clay, etc. in order to reduce the leaching of water. The
products obtained as a result of pyrolysis in the form of solids and liquids are used as fuels.
The products of pyrolysis include tar, charcoal, acetone, acetic acid, flue gas, etc.
Incineration is not an environment friendly method for the burning of the wastes. In this
process, the wastes are burnt at very high temperatures

- Composting is the method of degradation of wastes in the presence of microorganisms like

bacteria and fungi. It is done in the presence of oxygen. The end product of composting is
rich in carbon and nitrogen and serves as an excellent medium for the growth of plants.

- Organochlorines are the chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds that belong to the class of
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and widely used as pesticide. They cause huge adverse
impacts on the Central Nervous Systems. DDT, Methoxychlor, chlordane, etc. are the group
of compounds that belong to this.

Biodegradable plastics are also energy intensive and expensive to produce. India is a signatory to
MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1978).
- It was developed by the International Maritime Organization with an objective to minimize
pollution of the oceans and seas, including dumping, oil and air pollution. In addition,
Prevention of Marine Pollution is also dealt with by Merchant Shipping Rules, 2009 under
the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958.

- Radioactive elements are naturally found in the earth’s crust. Percolation of naturally
occurring radioactive materials (NORM) from the soil sediments to the aquifer causes
groundwater contamination. Radioactive contamination is more prevalent in groundwater
as compared to surface water since it is much exposed to radioactive elements found in the
rocks. Uranium, thorium and actinium are three NORM series that contaminate water
resources. Oceans and seas are the natural repositories of naturally occurring uranium.
Where it is found in the form of uranyl carbonate ion.

- The first e-waste clinic for segregating, processing and disposal of waste from household
and commercial units has been set-up in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

- Non-ionising radiations include short-wave radiations such as ultraviolet rays, which form a
part of solar radiation and molecules which absorb them. Non-ionizing radiations affect
 only those components which absorb them and have low penetrability. The molecular
damage may produce short range or long-range effects. The actively dividing cells such as
Embryo, foetus, cells of skin, intestinal lining, bone marrow and gamete forming cells are
more sensitive to radiations. Ionising radiations have high penetration power and cause
breakage of macromolecules.

- Ethyl mercury is used as a preservative in some vaccines and does not pose a health risk.

- E-waste is anything with a plug, electric cord, or battery (including electrical and electronic
equipment). It includes discarded and end-of-life electronic products ranging from
computers, equipment used in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), home
appliances, audio and video products and all of their peripherals.

- Bali Declaration is a non-binding declaration calls upon parties to:

 Develop practical tools and notification and information-sharing systems for monitoring
and managing trade in mercury.

 Exchange experiences and practices relating to combating illegal trade in mercury,

including reducing the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining.

 Share examples of national legislation and data and information related to such trade.

- Forest fires are broadly categorised into three categories – ground, surface and crown fire.
Fires that burn organic material in the soil are called ground fires, and they burn slowly,
under vegetation. Surface fires are caused largely by burning of dry leaves, branches and
other materials on the ground. Such fires spread swiftly, as in the case of fires in Himachal.
Crown fires burn quickly, from one tree top to another and have huge flames with intense
heat. Such fires are rare in India. According to Forest Survey of India (FSI), based on the
forest inventory records, 54.40% of forests in the country are exposed to occasional fires,
7.49% to moderately frequent fires and 2.405 % to high incidence levels

- The World Bank’s new report – Seeing the Invisible: A Strategic Report on Groundwater
Quality

- India has become the first Asian country to develop a plastics pact for building a circular
system for plastics. The vision, targets and ambition of the IPP are aligned with the circular
economy principles of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy in which
‘plastic never becomes waste’.

- Sand mining: downstream erosion, causing changes in channel bed and habitat type, as well
as the deepening of rivers and estuaries, and the enlargement of river mouths.

- Nitrous oxide is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide at heating atmosphere, and it
also depletes the ozone layer. Since it also has a shorter life span, reducing it could have a
faster, significant impact on global warming.
- For POPs already covered by domestic rules, the Cabinet delegated its power to ratify
substances under the Stockholm Convention to the Union Ministers of External Affairs
(MEA) and Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), expediting the process. The
ratification process would enable India to access Global Environment Facility (GEF)
financial resources in updating the NIP

- The 2019 Pollution and Health Metrics: Global, Regional and Country Analysis report from
the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) updates findings from The Lancet
Commission on Pollution and Health, and provides a ranking of pollution deaths on a global,
regional and country level.

- In-situ: It involves treatment of the contaminated material at the site:

 Bioventing: Supply of air and nutrients through wells to contaminated soil to stimulate
the growth of indigenous bacteria.
 Biosparging: Injection of air under pressure below the water table to increase
groundwater oxygen concentrations and enhance the rate of biological degradation of
contaminants by naturally occurring bacteria.
 Bioaugmentation: Microorganisms are imported to a contaminated site to enhance the
degradation process
- Ex-situ: Involves the removal of the contaminated material to be treated elsewhere

 Land Farming- It is an ex-situ waste treatment process that is performed in the upper
soil zone or in biotreatment cells. Contaminated soils, sediments, or sludges are
transported to the landfarming site, mixed into the soil surface and periodically turned
over (tilled) to aerate the mixture.
 Bio piles: A bio-pile is a bioremediation technology in which excavated soils are mixed
with soil amendments, formed into compost piles, and enclosed for treatment.
 Bioreactors- it involves the processing of contaminated solid material (soil, sediment,
sludge) or water through an engineered containment system.
 Composition- Composting is biological degradation process of heterogeneous solid
organic materials under controlled moist, self-heating, and aerobic conditions to obtain
a stable material that can be used as organic fertilizer.
D) RENEWABLE ENERGY

-
- Luminescent solar concentrators are used for trapping solar energy into a large area. It is a
cost-friendly alternative to solar cells. The most important advantage offered by
Luminescent solar concentrators is its ability to collect both direct and diffused solar
radiations.

- Greater the radius of turbine blade and hence the diameter of the blade of the turbine,
more energy it produces. Denser air is more capable of rotating the turbine blade.

- The burning of biomass releases the same amount of carbon dioxide as is released by the
burning of fossil fuels. Biomass does not add any excessive amount of carbon dioxide to the
atmosphere and releases as much amount of carbon dioxide as was used during its
formation unlike the fossil fuels which release the carbon trapped by them via
photosynthesis over the longer periods of time when it was formed.

- Bio-methanation or methanogenesis or anaerobic digestion is the process for the

production of the methane rich biogas. It is done by the anaerobic microorganisms under
the anaerobic conditions. The process releases biogas and other effluents. Pyrolysis and
Gasification are the methods for the decomposition of organic matter by heating. In case of
Gasification, the organic matter is subjected to partial combustion in the presence of
restricted amounts of oxygen or air. This process results in the production of syngas or the
producer gas. Syngas is composed of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen
constituting around 85%.

- One sun, one world, one Grid is an initiative of the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy : It covers two zones i.e., South Asia and South East Asian countries in the East and
the Middle East and the African countries in the west.

- Luhri hydroelectric project is being developed on the Sutlej river. Sawra-Kuddu

hydroelectric project is being constructed on river Pabbar, a tributary of Yamuna in Shimla
district. Ratle hydroelectric power project is an 850MW project being revived on the
Chenab River. Kishanganga hydropower project is 330 MW project on the river
Kishanganga, a tributary of the Jhelum, has significant strategic importance.

- The National Offshore Wind Energy Policy was notified in October 2015. The main goal is to
develop offshore wind energy in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which stretches
for 7600 kilometres along the Indian coastline. The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy
(MNRE) has been authorized as the Nodal Ministry.

- Potential sites for Geothermal energy: Puga Valley (J&K), Tattapani (Chhattisgarh),
Godavari Basin Manikaran (Himachal Pradesh), Bakreshwar (West Bengal), Tuwa (Gujarat)l
Unai (Maharashtra), Jalgaon (Maharashtra) .

- On an average, the 60 million square kilometers of the tropical seas absorb solar radiation
equivalent to the heat content of 245 billion barrels of oil. The process of harnessing this
energy is called OTEC (ocean thermal energy conversion). Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
(OTEC) systems uses the temperature differences between the surface of the ocean and
 the depths of about 1000 m to operate a heat engine, which produces electric power.
Greater the temperature difference, the greater the efficiency. Tropics receive a lot of
sunlight which warms the surface of the oceans, increasing the temperature gradient. In the
tropics temperature vary seasonally about 1 to 2 °C (1.8 to 3.6°F). Thus mid-latitudes has
the highest temperature gradient and not at equator.

- A turbine converts the kinetic energy of falling water into mechanical energy. Then a
generator converts the mechanical energy from the turbine into electrical energy. Hydro
power is the cheapest, and cleanest source of energy.

- The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 was launched by the
Government of India in 2013 to achieve national fuel security by promoting electric and
hybrid vehicles. This mission is implemented by the Department of Heavy Industry (DHI),
Under Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises. Under NEMMP 2020,
Government has launched Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric
Vehicles in India (FAME India) scheme to promote manufacturing of electric and hybrid
vehicle technology.

- Bhadla Solar Park is the largest solar farm in the world. The facility, spanning over an area
of 14000 acres, is located in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. Guwahati becomes India's
first fully solar powered railway station. Setting a shining example for the rest of the
country, Guwahati has become the first railway station in the country to be fully solar
powered.

- India launched the National Solar Mission in 2010. In 2015, the government revised the
target to 100GW by 2022. Again, in August 2021, the target was again increased, this time
to 300GW by 2030. It is also known as the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.

- The Green Grids Initiative-One Sun One World One Grid project was launched by India in
partnership with the UK at COP26 in Glasgow.

E) ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

- The Central Government launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as a long-term,
time-bound, national level strategy to tackle the air pollution problem across the country. It
targets to achieve 20% to 30% reduction in Particulate Matter concentrations by 2024
keeping 2017 as the base year.

- The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) has developed an eco- friendly crude oil
bioremediation mechanism technology using consortia of marine microbes’ wheat bran
(WB) immobilized on agro-residue bacterial cells. These hydrocarbon degrading bacteria do
not depend on hydrocarbons for survival but have a metabolic mechanism of their own
where they use petroleum products as carbon and energy source and thus, help cleaning up
oil spills.
- A Rubber Board research farm on the outskirts of Guwahati now sports the world’s first
genetically modified (GM) rubber plant tailored for the climatic conditions in the
Northeast.

- According to Geological survey of India, about 0.42 million sq. km or 12.6% of land area,
excluding snow covered area, is prone to landslide hazard. Out of this, 42% falls in North
East Himalaya, including Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalaya. National Landslide susceptibility
mapping is undertaken by Geological Survey of India since 2014-15.

- Plan Bee, is a unique strategy adopted by Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to keep wild
elephants away from railway tracks, has won the best innovation award by Indian Railways.
Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR)'s Plan Bee, involves setting up of devices (an amplifying
system imitating the buzz of a swarm of honey bees) near tracks, which emit the ‘buzzing’
sound of swarming bees, considered as a natural repellent of elephants (elephants have a
natural fear of the perilous stings of the insects)

- Heat waves are formed due to an anticyclonic condition (High Pressure on the earth’s
surface). It causes the air above it to come down. That creates a sinking column of air that
compresses, heats up, and oftentimes dries out. This air warms up as it comes down on
account of high pressure. Marine heat waves (MHW) over Indian Ocean are due to weak
winds that cause dip in evaporative cooling and peak in solar radiation. The weak winds
also reduce the heat transported by ocean currents from the near-equatorial regions toward
the north, intensifying the MHW. The city of Ahmedabad in India was the first South Asian
city to develop and implement a city-wide heat health adaptation in 2013 after experiencing
a devastating heatwave in 2010.

- The current notification aims to achieve the objective of 100% fly ash utilization in 3 to 5
years. Under new rules, non-compliant power plants will be imposed with an environmental
compensation of Rs 1,000 per tons on unutilized ash during the end of every financial year.

- Union Environment Minister launched 'Prakriti', a mascot to spread greater awareness

among the masses about the small changes that can be sustainably adopted in our lifestyle
for a better environment.

- The Ministry of power recently launched Shunya programme for Net Zero Energy Buildings
(NZEB) and Net Positive Energy Buildings (NPEB). Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB): A net-
zero energy building is one that relies on renewable sources to produce as much energy as
it uses, usually as measured over the course of a year. For ‘Shunya’ Labelling, after
submitting the documents and requisite fees, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under
Ministry of Power

- As per NITI Aayog report released in June 2019, India is facing the worst-ever water crisis
in history. Approximately 600 million people or roughly around 45 % of the population in
India is facing high to severe water stress

F) BIODIVERSITY
- The Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH): It is a Centrally Sponsored
Scheme launched during the 11th Plan period to provide technical and financial assistance
to States/UTs for protection of wildlife habitat.
The scheme has three components:

Support for Protected Areas (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves
and Community Reserves except tiger reserves).

Protection of Wildlife Outside Protected Areas.

Recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species and habitats. The National
Board for Wildlife and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
recently included the caracal, a medium-sized wildcat found in parts of Rajasthan and
Gujarat, in the list of critically endangered species

- Umbrella species are species that are selected as representatives of their ecosystem when
conservation plans are being made. The umbrella effect is the idea that protecting one
species will help protect a large number of co-occurring species. Species co-occur when their
home ranges overlap. This is usually because they share some of the same habitat needs,
like the types of temperatures they can survive in or the need to live in rocky terrain.

A foundation species is a species that has a strong role in structuring a community. The
activities of foundation species physically modify the environment and produce and
maintain habitats that benefit other organisms using that benefit. For example, the
existence of kelp provides shelter and suitable habitat for numerous other organisms in
marine ecosystems.

A keystone species has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its
abundance. These species are described as playing a critical role in maintaining the structure
of an ecological community, affecting many other organisms in an ecosystem. Without a
keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist
altogether. For example, the jaguar acts as a keystone predator by its widely varied diet,
helping to balance the mammalian jungle ecosystem with its consumption of 87 different
types of species.

- Mosquito fern is an aquatic pteridophyte. Caladium is a tropical South American plant of the
arum family, which is cultivated for its brilliantly colored ornamental foliage. They are not
prohibited to cultivate under Schedule 6 of WPA, 1972.

- A climax community is a final result of Ecological succession. The first plant to colonize an
area is called the pioneer community. The final stage of succession is called the climax
community. A climax community is stable, mature, more complex and long-lasting.

- For Species Diversity, ‘Zero’ would mean infinite diversity, and ‘one’ represents only one
species present.

- Keystone Species is a species whose addition to or loss from an ecosystem leads to major
changes in the occurrence of at least one other species. All top Predators are considered as
keystone Species because they regulate all other animals’ population Indirectly. Ecosystem
 Engineers are like Foundation species. Ecosystem engineers modify, create, and maintain
habitats. Keystone species have low functional redundancy. This means that if the species
were to disappear from the ecosystem, no other species would be able to fill its ecological
niche.

- Foundation species is a dominant primary producer both in terms of abundance and

Influence. A foundation species can occupy any trophic level in a food web. It can be
primary producer, herbivores or Predators.

- The Ten Biogeographic zone as a percentage of total Geographical area are as. Andaman &
Nicobar Island: 0.8% (of Total Geographical Area). Coastal Region: 2.5% . North East
region: 5.2%. Gangetic Plains: 10.8%. Deccan Plateau: 42%. Western Ghats: 4%
Semi-Arid Region: 16.6%. Indian Desert Zone: 6.6 %. Himalayan Zone: 6.4 % . Trans-
Himalayan Zone: 5.6%. Andaman and Nicobar Islands constitute 0.3 per cent of the total
geographical area and are one of the three tropical moist evergreen forests zones in India.

Rogers and Panwar of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) outlined a scheme to divide India
zoogeographically in 1988 while planning a protected area network for India. The scheme
divided India into 10 biogeographic zones, and each zone is further subdivided into
biogeographic provinces

- Acclimatization is the process in which an individual organism adjusts to a change in its

environment (such as a change in altitude, temperature, humidity, photoperiod, or pH).
Acclimatization occurs in a short period of time (hours to weeks), and within the organism's
lifetime (compared to adaptation, which is a development that takes place over many
generations).

- A Hope Spot is an area of an ocean that needs special protection because of its wildlife and
significant underwater habitats. Less than 1% of the oceans are protected. By identifying
such hope spots, IUCN wants to “scale up the marine protection necessary for sustainable
development of the ocean”. Cool-spots’ are the world’s last refuges where high numbers of
threatened species still persist. Cool-spots could be the result of protection or because of
intact habitat that has not been cleared yet. Andaman and Nicobar Islands and
Lakshadweep islands have recently been named as the new "hope spots" by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Mission Blue, an organization
involved in the study of oceans.

-
-

-
-

-
- Among the four major reef areas of India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands are found to be
very rich in species diversity followed by the Lakshadweep Islands, the Gulf of Mannar and
finally the Gulf of Kachchh .While the majority of coral reefs are found in tropical and sub-
tropical water, there are also deep-water corals in colder regions. Cold-water corals inhabit
deep, cold (39-55 degrees F), water. The corals are generally slow growing colonies of
animals while zooxanthellae are fast growing plants. Corals themselves are animals and
Zooxanthellae are photosynthetic organisms, which contain chlorophyll as well as the
dinoflagellate pigments peridinin and diadinoxanthin.

- Global Coral Reef Research and Development Accelerator Platform has been launched by
the G-20 in 2020 to accelerate global research and development solutions to save the corals
worldwide. It will strengthen ongoing efforts and commitments made to enhance coral reefs
conservation and mitigate their further degradation

- The global initiative is a collaboration between Japan’s non-profit Nippon Foundation and
the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO). It is the only intergovernmental
organization with a mandate to map the entire ocean floor. The project aims to bring
together all available bathymetric data to produce the definitive map of the world ocean
floor by 2030 and make it available to all.

- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced that October 5 will be
celebrated as National Dolphin Day. Conservation efforts for the Dolphins are as following:
The Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS), Bhagalpur in Bihar is the only dolphin
sanctuary in the country. ‘Project Dolphin’ to conserve both freshwater and marine
dolphins. The government of India declared it the National Aquatic Animal in 2010.

- The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has carried out coastal
vulnerability assessment for the entire Indian coast at state level. INCOIS has brought out an
Atlas to prepare a Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI). These maps will determine the coastal
risks due to future sea-level rise based on the physical and geological parameters. Coastal
vulnerability assessments can be useful information for coastal disaster management and
building resilient coastal communities.

- The Niani Lake is the sole source of drinking water for Nainital town tourist destination in
Uttarakhand state. Increasing inflow of tourists, urban waste making its way into the lake is
adversely affecting water quality. Conserve the water body, the residents have switched on
to a scientific garbage disposal system under the project name ‘Mission butterfly for Nainital
Lake Conservation Project. A movement called the “MISSION BUTTERFLY” was launched
calling for action from the local community of Nainital. It is an integrated solid waste
management program (ISWM) promoting the whole-of-life (cradle to grave) management of
solid material wastes with strategies for recycling and minimization

- National Wetland Inventory and Assessment compiled by the Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO). It is an updated database of the wetlands of India. The wetlands have
been categorized under nineteen classes and mapped using satellite remote sensing data
from Indian Remote Sensing Satellite: IRS P6- LISS III sensor.
- Scientists warn of imminent mass annihilation of marine species similar to the Permian
extinction (~250 million years ago) that wiped out most lives in oceans and referred to it as
Oceans Great Dying 2.0. Permian Extinction is also known as Great Dying and was caused by
global warming. The Permian era, a period spanning 298.9 million-252.2 million years ago,
was a time before the dinosaurs ruled the planet. Scientists have found that global ocean
temperatures were 10 degrees higher than today and Oxygen levels were 80 percent lower.
During this period, land masses collided to form the supercontinent Pangaea.

- Photic zone: Both photosynthesis and respiration activity take place. Aphotic zone:
Here only respiration activity takes place, here light levels are too low for photosynthesis.

- Infralittoral zone- This zone is dominated by the algae and has depth of about 16.40 feet
below the low water mark. Circalittoral zone- This zone is dominated by sessile animals like
Oysters. Subtidal zone- It is the lowermost part of the neritic zone and below the ocean’s
intertidal zone.

- Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are
about 30 different genera. Kelps have adapted to the severe conditions. These cool water
species have special strategies to survive freezing temperatures and long periods of
darkness, and even grow under sea ice.

- The State Government may, where community or individual has volunteered, declare any
private or community land not comprised within a National Park, sanctuary or a
conservation reserve, as a community reserve, for protecting fauna, flora and traditional or
cultural. Rights of people living inside a Community Reserve are not affected. It is basically
an area where an individual or a community has volunteered to conserve wildlife and its
habitat.

- The State Government declares a conservation reserve in an area owned by the Central or
State government. The aim of conservation reserves is to protect landscapes, seascapes,
flora and fauna and their habitat. Rights of people are not affected in a conservation
reserve. Tiruppadaimarathur conservation reserve near Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu,
declared in 2005, is the first Conservation Reserve in India. Developmental activities can be
taken up in Conservation reserves but with the approval of the State wildlife board.
Agricultural activities can also be taken up with permission from the state wildlife board.

- Biosphere Reserve demonstrates integrated management of land, water and Biodiversity.

Limited economic activity (sand and stone mining are permitted in a sustainable manner).
- Species diversity: It refers to the variety of living organisms on earth. Species differ from
one another, markedly in their genetic makeup, do not interbreed in nature. Ecosystem/
Community diversity: This refers to the different types of habitats. A habitat is the
cumulative factor of the climate, vegetation and geography of a region. There are several
kinds of habitats around the world.

- The Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII) summarises the change in ecological communities in
response to human pressures. The BII is an estimated percentage of the original number of
species that remain and their abundance in any given area, despite human impacts. The
PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems)
project calculates the BII using data from ecological studies conducted around the world.

- Karikili Bird Sanctuary along with Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary has been identified as one of
the Important Bird Areas of Tamil Nadu. Sakhya Sagar (Madhya Pradesh): Created from the
Manier river in 1918, Sakhya Sagar is located near Madhav National Park. Sakhya Sagar is a
human-made reservoir on the outskirts of Shivpuri town within the Madhav National Park.

- Pala Wetland in Mizoram: falls under the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot and is
therefore rich in animal and plant species. The lake is a major component of the Palak
Wildlife Sanctuary and it supports the major biodiversity of the sanctuary. Pala Wetland is
revered by the local Mara people and has a deep connection with their history.

- Ramsar convention is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of
wetlands. It is named after the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the Caspian Sea, where the treaty
was signed on 2 February 1971. Every three years, representatives of the contracting
parties meet as the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP), the policy-making organ
of the convention which adopts decisions (resolutions and recommendations). Montreux
Record is the primary tool under the Ramsar Convention for recognizing wetlands sites on
priority basis. The Montreux Record was established by the Conference of the Contracting
Parties' Recommendation.

- Yashwant Sagar is one of the two Important Bird Areas (IBA) in the Indore region as well as
one of the most important birding sites in Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. Ansupa Lake is
the largest freshwater lake of Odisha in Cuttack district: The wetland is an oxbow lake
formed by River Mahanadi and is spread over an area of 231 ha. Sasthamcotta Lake or
Sasthamkotta Lake, also categorized as a wetland, is the largest fresh water lake in Kerala

- Kuno Palpur National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh is 748 sq. km. in area forming part of
Sheopur-Shivpuri (Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion) deciduous open forest
landscape. Kuno offers the prospect of housing four big cats of India - tiger, lion, leopard
and cheetah. Most of the inhabitants were Saharia tribal people. In January 2022,
environment ministry launched the action plan for reintroducing cheetahs in India, starting
with Kuno national park.

- Bandhavgarh National Park is a national park of India, located in the Umaria district of
Madhya Pradesh. In 1993 was declared a tiger reserve- under the Project Tiger Network.
Its mention can be found in the ancient books of the ‘Narad Pancharatra’ and the ‘Shiv
 Purana’ and is associated with Ramayana. important streams are Johilla, Janadh,
Charanganga, Damnar, Banbei, Ambanala and Andhiyari Jhiria. These streams then merge
into the Son River (an important southern tributary to the river Ganga).

- The Gir National Park is located in the Junagadh district of Gujarat. The Gir Forests is the
only natural habitat of Asiatic lions. The Gir Forests is the largest compact tract of dry
deciduous forests in the semi-arid western part of India. Gir is often linked with
"Maldharis" who have survived through the ages by having symbiotic relationship with the
lion. Maldharis are religious pastoral communities living in Gir. Their settlements are called
"nesses".

- Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, is the largest wildlife sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh state in
India. Nauradehi also was found to be the most suitable area for the cheetahs as its forests
are not very dense to restrict the fast movement of the fastest land animal. The protected
area sits astride two major river basins of India, namely the Narmada and Ganges.

- BiodiverCities by 2030 initiative: It is a joint initiative of the World Economic Forum and the
Government of Colombia. The initiative aims to promote sustainable, inclusive and nature-
positive urban development at a global scale. The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently
published a report titled ‘BiodiverCities by 2030: Transforming cities’ relationship with
nature’ developed as an output of the BiodiverCities by 2030 initiative. The Global Risks
Report 2022, an annual report, was released by the World Economic Forum. It tracks global
risk perceptions among risk experts and world leaders in business, government, and civil
society.

- Dhole (Cuon alpinus) is a wild carnivorous animal belonging to the canine family, found in
Central, South, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. They are also known as Asian wild dogs.
Dholes play an important role as apex predators in forest ecosystems. The species is
protected under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and under Appendix 2 of the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The dhole or Asiatic Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus) is found in three clusters across India namely
the Western and Eastern Ghats, central Indian landscape and North East India. In 2014,
the Indian government sanctioned its first dhole conservation breeding centre at the Indira
Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) in Visakhapatnam.

- Harike Wetland also is the largest wetland in northern India in the border of Tarn Taran
Sahib district and Ferozepur district of Punjab. The wetland and the lake were formed by
constructing the headworks across the Sutlej River in 1953. The headworks is located
downstream of the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers just south of Harike village.

- In 1975, Pong dam was built across the Beas River. It is also called the Pong reservoir or the
Maharana Pratap Sagar. In 1983, the entire reservoir was declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary
by the Himachal Pradesh government. In 1994, the Government of India declared it a
“Wetland of National Importance”

- Basai wetland, located in Basai village in Gurgaon Haryana is a flora and fauna rich water
body.It lies in one of the paleochannel of the Sahibi River, a tributary of Yamuna which
originates from the Aravalli range in Rajasthan and flows through the region. However, it
has not yet been declared a protected wetland by the Government of Haryana.
- Kanjli Wetland, which subsumes the Kanjli Lake, is located on the Bein rivulet in the
Kapurthala district of Punjab. Kanjli Wetland is a man-made Wetland which was created in
1870 by constructing the headworks across the perennial Bien River, a tributary of the Beas
River to provide irrigation facilities to the hinterland. In 2002, it was recognized by the
Ramsar Convention in the List of Wetlands of International Importance

- Pygmy Hog is one of the very few mammals that build its own home, or nest, complete with
a ‘roof’. It is also an indicator species. It thrives in wet grassland. Once found along a narrow
strip of tall and wet grassland plains on the Himalayan foothills from Uttar Pradesh to
Assam, through Nepal’s terai areas and Bengal’s duars. Today found mainly in a small
population in Assam.

- Gharials belong to the category of animals called Reptiles.

- Agarwood is an economically important evergreen tree species. It is known as the wood of

the gods; a product of the religious and cultural aroma. Agarwood is a resinous part of the
non-timber Aquilaria tree, which is a highly valuable product for medicine and fragrance
purposes. Agarwood is a fast-growing tree species native to North East India and their
distribution ranges from the foothills of the Himalayas to Papua New Guinea. in three states
Assam, Manipur and Tripura. It is said that the name Agartala, which is the capital of
Tripura, derived its name from these trees. In Assam, it is known as the ‘Sanchi’ tree. IUCN
has listed it under the critically endangered category.

- Katraj Snake Park of Pune is one of the only parks in the country with maximum species of
snakes. Devaliya Lion Safari Park is situated very close to Gir National Park and Wildlife
Sanctuary of Gujarat. It is a breeding park of Indian lions. Ramanagar is a popular place and
is the country’s first vulture sanctuary in Karnataka, located on the Bengaluru-Mysuru
highway at an average elevation of 747 metres. Arignar Anna Zoological Park or Vandalur
Zoo, Chennai (Tamil Nadu): The park is the largest zoological garden in India and a Captive
breeding ground for lion-tailed macaques.

- In the landmark judgement of The Uttarakhand High Court (Divya Pharmacy vs Union of
India, 2018 case) mandated that all foreign and Indian companies, institutions, individuals,
which are extracting biological resources, must seek prior approval and share benefits with
the local community for conserving and protecting such resources.

- As per the provisions of Biodiversity act 2002 charges of bio piracy are treated as non-
bailable and criminal offences. However, The Bill has proposed to decriminalize violations,
such as bio-piracy and make them civil offences.

- Dampa Tiger Reserve or Dampha Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve of western Mizoram,
India. It is in the Lushai Hills at an altitude range of 2,600–3,600 ft.

- Sitanadi-Udanti Tiger Reserve : Chhattisgarh. It contains various types of forest crop mixed
with Sal Forest. Asiatic Wild Buffalo is the key endangered species found in the Core Area.
Sitanadi River originates in the middle of Sitanadi Wildlife sanctuary. Udanti River flows
from the west to east covering a major part of the Udanti Wildlife sanctuary.
- Kawal Tiger Reserve is located at Jannaram mandal of Mancherial District (Old Adilabad
district) in Telangana state of India. The reserve is the oldest sanctuary in the northern
Telangana region of the state. It is well known for its abundant flora and fauna. This
sanctuary is catchment for the rivers Godavari and Kadam, which flow towards the south
of the sanctuary.

- The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in the Nilgiri mountains of the Western
Ghats in South India. It includes the protected areas Mudumalai, Mukurthi, Nagarhole,
Bandipur, Silent Valley National Park, and Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Wayanad, Karimpuzha
and Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuaries. However, many of the major tributaries of the
river Cauvery like the Bhavani, Moyar, Kabini and other rivers like Chaliyar, Punampuzha,
etc., have their source and catchment areas within the reserve boundary.

- At 2,623 mts above MSL, Doddabetta is the highest Peak in Tamil Nadu. The name
Doddabetta literally means 'Big Mountain' in the Badugu Language. Doddabetta peak is a
part of the Nilgiri Hills at the junction of the Western Ghats as well as the Eastern Ghats.

- Dihang-Dibang is a biosphere reserve in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The

Mouling National Park and the Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary are located fully or partly within
this biosphere reserve. The reserve spreads over three districts: Dibang Valley, Upper Siang,
and West Siang. The reserve is rich in wildlife. Rare mammals such as Mishmi takin, red
goral, musk deer (at least two sub-species), red panda, Asiatic black bear, occasional tiger
and Gongshan muntjac occur, while among birds there are the rare Sclater's monal and
Blyth's tragopan.

- The Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve is a non-use conservation area and biosphere reserve in
the Satpura Range of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. It includes three wildlife
conservation units: Bori Sanctuary; Pachmarhi Sanctuary; Satpura National Park. Satpura
National Park is designated as the core zone and the remaining area of including the Bori
and Pachmarhi sanctuaries, serves as the buffer zone.

- Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is a national park located in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts,
Assam. The park is bounded by the Brahmaputra and Lohit rivers in the north and Dibru
River in the south. It is the largest salix swamp forest in north-eastern India, with a
tropical monsoon climate with a hot and wet summer and cool and usually dry winter.

- Simlipal National Park is a national park and a tiger reserve in the Mayurbhanj district in the
Indian state of Odisha. It is part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes three
protected areas Similipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and Kuldiha Wildlife
Sanctuary. Simlipal National Park derives its name from the abundance of red silk cotton
trees growing in the area. It has the peaks of Khairiburu at and Meghasani. The main
waterfalls are the Barehipani Falls and the Joranda Falls.

- Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve (ABR) is situated at the southern -most end of the
Western Ghats and spread over two southern states Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is named
after the Agastya Mala peak that rises up to almost 1868 metres above sea level, in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It is home to the Kanikaran tribe, one of the oldest surviving
ancient tribes in the world.
- Nilgiri Biospehre reserve: The name ’Nilgiris’ with literary meaning ‘blue mountains’ has
originated from the blue flower clad mountains of the Nilgiris plateau within the State of
Tamil Nadu. It was the first biosphere reserve in India established in the year 1986. Tamil
Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Tribal groups: like the Todas, Kotas, Irullas, Kurumbas,
Paniyas, Adiyans, Edanadan Chettis, Cholanaickens, Allar, Malayan, etc., are native to the
reserve. Valmiki National Park is a Tiger Reserve in the West Champaran District of Bihar,
India. It is the only national park in Bihar: The Tharu, a scheduled tribe, is the dominant
community in the landscape. The Simlipal National Park and Tiger Reserve is located in
Mayurbanj district of Odisha. It is named ‘Simlipal’ in reference to the abundance of red silk
cotton trees in the region. Mankidia is a nomadic tribal group who live in Odisha. The
Mankidia tribe earn by collecting and selling siali fibre from Similipal forests; They are
categorised as a particularly vulnerable tribal group.

- Periyar Tiger reserve : Its highest peak is Kottamala (2016m). It is situated in the
Cardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills of the Southern Western Ghats. It is drained by
Mullayar, Pamba and Periyar rivers. Tribal communities present here are Mannans,
Paliyans, Malayarayans, Mala Pandarams, Uralis and Ulladans. Kalakkad Mundanthurai
Tiger Reserve (KMTR) located in the South Western Ghats montane rain forests in
Tirunelveli district and Kanyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, is the second-largest
protected area in Tamil Nadu. It is part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.

- The National Tiger Conservation Authority in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of
India has published a document titled “Connecting Tiger Populations for Long-term
Conservation”, which has mapped out 32 major corridors across the country,

- The goal has been set by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) through the Global Tiger Initiative,
Global Tiger Forum, and other critical platforms. All 13 tiger range governments came
together for the first time at the St Petersburg Summit (Russia – 2010) where they
committed to double the number of wild tigers by 2022 with the base year 2006

- Tiger Census in India involved the development of innovative technology like automated
segregation of camera trap photographs to species using artificial intelligence and neural
network models (software CaTRAT – Camera Trap data Repository and Analysis Tool).

- The Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme is a collaboration among Durrell Wildlife

Conservation Trust of UK, Assam Forest Department, Wild Pig Specialist Group of
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change. The reintroduction programme began in 2008 with the Sonai-
Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, Orang National Park and Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary, all of which
are in Assam and now currently implemented by NGOs - Aaranyak and EcoSystems India.

- The Government has identified some world class iconic tourist stations in 17 sites in 12
clusters in the country for development as Iconic Tourist Sites namely Taj Mahal & Fatehpur
Sikri (Uttar Pradesh), Ajanta & Ellora (Maharashtra), Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort &
Qutub Minar (Delhi), Colva (Goa), Amer Fort (Rajasthan), Somnath & Dholavira
(Gujarat), Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), Hampi (Karnataka), Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu),
Kaziranga (Assam), Kumarakom (Kerala) and Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar). Four main types
of vegetation exist in this park. These are alluvial inundated grasslands, alluvial savanna
woodlands, tropical moist mixed deciduous forests, and tropical semi-evergreen forests.
 Kaziranga National Park is located in Golaghat and Nagaon, in the Karbi Anglong district of
Assam in northeast India.

- The State Government may notify any community land or private land as Community
Reserve, provided that the members of that community or individuals concerned are
agreeable to offer such areas for protecting the fauna and flora, as well as their traditions,
cultures and practice. No change in land use pattern shall be made within the Community
Reserve, except in accordance with a resolution passed by the Management Committee and
approval of the same by the State Government. Nagaland with 114 Community Reserves
covering an area of 851.78 square kilometers has the maximum number in terms of area. It
is about 3.9% of the total area of the state.

-
- Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, releases Management Effectiveness
Evaluation (MEE) of 146 National Park and Wildlife Sanctuaries in the country. Management
Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of Protected Areas (PAs) has emerged as a key tool for PA
managers and is increasingly being used by governments and international bodies to
understand the strengths and weaknesses of the protected area management systems

- The Conservation Reserve Management Committee is constituted under the wildlife

(Protection) Act, 1972. The State Government shall constitute a conservation reserve
management committee to advise the Chief Wild Life Warden to conserve, manage and
maintain the conservation reserve. No change in the land use pattern shall be made within
the community reserve, except in accordance with a resolution passed by the management
committee and approval of the same by the State Government.

- Keetham lake, also known as the Sur Sarovar, is a scenic lake just outside Agra. Alongside
the Keetham Lake is the Agra Bear Rescue Facility, which is a Sloth bear rescue facility
dedicated to rehabilitating previously enslaved 'dancing bears'. Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary:
A shallow marshland 45 kilometres from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. Monsoon rains feed this
diverse wetland while the Sarda Canal supplies additional water. Samaspur Bird Sanctuary:
A perennial lowland marsh typical of the Indo-Gangetic Plain in Raebareli district. Its six
connected lakes are heavily relevant to monsoon rains. Parvati Aranga Bird Sanctuary: A
permanent freshwater environment consisting of two oxbow lakes.
-

-
- The Supreme Court order in T N Godavarman Thirumalpad (1996) Case identified ‘deemed
forests’ as “land having the characteristic of forests irrespective of the ownership”. This
includes: Thickly wooded areas of the Revenue Department not handed over to the Forest
Department

- SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction): is a consortium of like-minded, regional and
international organizations, created to oversee and coordinate conservation, campaigning
and fundraising activities to help the plight of south Asia’s vultures. Operation Save Kurma:
The operation was conducted to combat the proliferating illegal trade of live turtles and its
parts from the country to destinations abroad.

- ‘No-Go’ areas are regions that were classified by the Ministry of Environment and Forests
and Climate Change as containing very dense forests and hence closed to coal mining. If
mining were to continue, even with afforestation and reclamation, it would not be possible
to restore the region's biodiversity. The exercise is aimed at prioritising forest areas under
the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. ‘No Go’ areas are those having either more than 10 per
cent weighted forest cover (WFC) or more than 30 per cent gross forest cover (GFC).

- INDIA ECO DEV PROJECT: being implemented in seven areas namely Buxa, Palamau,
Nagarhole, Periyar, Pench, Ranthambore Tiger Reserves and Gir National Park. conserve
 biological diversity in seven globally significant protected areas (PAS) by implementing an
ecodevelopment strategy (prepared by the GOI). The strategy embraced a community-
based approach encouraging durable partnerships between Forest Department staff and
local communities for access to and responsible use of forest resources.

- The World Bank hosted the GTI Secretariat until July 1 2015 and acted as a convener of a
global network working to save wild tigers and snow leopards from extinction.

- Only some male Asian elephants have tusks, while both male and female African
elephants grow tusks

- CATS are a globally accepted conservation tool that sets best practices and standards to
manage tigers and assessments to benchmark progress. Tigers are the first species selected
for the initiative. It was launched in 2013. Global Tiger Forum and WWF India are
implementing partners of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for CATS
assessment in India. It is being adopted for use beyond tigers, including potentially jaguars,
lions and freshwater dolphins.

- Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in the Nilgiri mountains of the Western
Ghats in South India. It is the largest protected forest area in India, spreading across Tamil
Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. It includes the protected areas Mudumalai, Mukurthi,
Nagarhole, Bandipur, Silent Valley National Park, and Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary,
Wayanad, Karimpuzha and Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuaries.

- The Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve is a non-use conservation area and biosphere reserve in
the Satpura Range of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. It includes three wildlife
conservation units Bori Sanctuary, Pachmarhi Sanctuary and Satpura National Park.

- The GTF, in partnership with the Governments of Bhutan, India and Nepal, along with
technical implementing agencies, including WWF, Wildlife Institute of India, National Trust
for Nature Conservation (Nepal) and Regional Centre for Tiger and Cats Conservation
(Bhutan) is undertaking a situation analysis study for assessing tiger habitat status in high
altitude ecosystems. The study has been supported by the Integrated Tiger Habitat
Conservation Program (ITHCP) of the IUCN and KfW (German Development Bank). High
altitude tiger (HAT) project will study and analyze the status of Tiger Habitats in High Altitude
Ecosystems in Bhutan, India and Nepal

G) OZONE DEPLETION

- Solar radiation management (SRM or solar geoengineering) is a theoretical approach for

reducing some of the impacts of climate change. it would involve reflecting a small amount
of sunlight back out into space. It involves geoengineering technologies that aim to reduce
the inflow of solar energy, rather than to reduce global warming by reducing greenhouse
gases.
- Whitening clouds, injecting particles into the stratosphere (Stratospheric aerosol
injection), or putting sunshades in space could increase Earth's reflectivity, thereby reducing
incoming solar radiation and offsetting some of the warming associated with increasing GHG
concentrations.

- Clouds, especially, low, thick clouds, reflect incoming sunlight (shortwave radiation) back
to space. High clouds reflect less solar radiation and trap longwave infrared radiation (heat)
re-radiated from Earth's surface.

- Ozone layer depletion is the gradual thinning of the earth’s ozone layer present in the upper
atmosphere. The thickness of the ozone layer varies immensely on any day and location.

- In the mid-latitudes, for example, over Australia, the ozone layer is thinned. This has led to
an increase in UV radiation reaching the earth. It is estimated that about 5-9% thickness of
the ozone layer has decreased, increasing the risk of human over-exposure to UV radiation
owing to the outdoor lifestyle.

H) CLIMATE CHANGE AND MITIGATIONS+ ORGANISATIONS

- The Green Climate Fund was established in 2010 to assist developing countries in
adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change. The Green Climate Fund
was established within the framework of the UNFCCC. The GCF is based in Incheon, South
Korea. GCF is mandated to invest 50% of its resources to mitigation and 50% to adaptation
in grant equivalent.

- Under the provisions of the Paris Agreement, countries will be expected to submit an
updated NDC every five years

- Paris Agreement also allows voluntary trading between countries to meet their NDC goals. If
a country reduces more GHG emissions than its target, it can sell the emission reduction to
another country as an “internationally traded mitigation outcome” (ITMO). It is not a
compulsory provision.

- In 1994, the GEF moved out of the World Bank and became a permanent and separate
institution. However, the World Bank continued to serve as its Trustee and provide
administrative services.

- The Graded Action Plan was notified in 2017 for Delhi and the National Capital Region
(NCR). These are institutionalized measures to be taken when air quality deteriorates, hence
works only as an emergency measure. When the air quality shifts from poor to very poor,
the measures listed have to be followed since the plan is incremental in nature

- Green crackers don't contain banned chemicals such as lithium, arsenic, barium and lead.
Examples of Green Crackers - Safe Water Releaser (SWAS), Safe Thermite Cracker (STAR) and
Safe Minimal Aluminium (SAFAL).

- Rainmaking, also known as artificial precipitation, artificial rainfall and pluviculture, is the
act of attempting to artificially induce or increase precipitation, usually to stave off drought
or the wider global warming. According
- The Paris Agreement replaced the Kyoto Protocol. Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, which
established top-down legally binding emissions reduction targets (as well as penalties for
non-compliance) for developed nations only, the Paris Agreement requires that all countries
—rich, poor, developed, and developing—do their part and slash greenhouse gas emissions
to solve the global problem of climate change through Nationally determined contributions
(NDCs).

- Pre-combustion methods – It is carried out before burning the fossil fuel – involve
converting the fuel into a mixture of hydrogen and CO2. Oxyfuel technology: It produces
CO2 and steam by burning fossil fuels with almost pure oxygen. Post-combustion and
oxyfuel equipment can be fitted to new plants or retrofitted – in other words, added to
existing power stations that were originally built without it. Pre-combustion methods
require large modifications to existing plans to be retrofitted, and are therefore more
suitable for new construction.

- Union government has allowed a concession of 50 percent in revenue share for coal
gasification. Concession of 50% in revenue share can be availed if the successful bidder
consumes the coal produced either in its own plant(s) or plant of its holding, subsidiary,
affiliate, associate for coal gasification or liquefaction or sells the coal for coal gasification or
liquefaction on a yearly basis.
- All-season ozone hole is defined as an area of ozone loss larger than 25% compared with
the undisturbed atmosphere. Scientists revealed a large, all-season ozone hole in the lower
stratosphere over the tropics comparable in-depth to that of the Antarctic hole, but roughly
seven times greater in area.

- Carbon is being traded on India’s Multi Commodity Exchange. It is the first exchange in
Asia to trade carbon credits. The launch of futures trading in carbon credits on Multi
Commodity Exchange (MCX) has provided a platform for Indian companies to be able to
benefit from the adoption of cleaner technologies.

- A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual,
event, organization, service, or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent. It
corresponds to the whole amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) produced to, directly and
indirectly; support a person’s lifestyle and activities.

- Ocean acidification is often referred to as the “evil twin” of climate change. As greenhouse
gases are warming the globe (sea) in one hand at the same time Increasing C0₂ levels of the
sea as well. Due to this, the chemical make-up of our oceans is changing. Due to the double
effect of greenhouse gas on the sea, it is called the “evil twin” of climate change.

- The Visvesvaraya award recognises the countries with a maximum floating solar capacity
in each of the four regions of ISA-Asia Pacific Region, Africa Region, Europe and others
Region and Latin America and Caribbean Region. The Kalpana Chawla award for
outstanding contribution of scientists and engineers working in the field of solar energy.
The Diwakar award recognises organisations and institutions that have been working for
the benefit of differently-abled people and have maximised the use of solar energy in the
host country. In the wake of the global pandemic, ISA responded by setting up ISA CARES,
an initiative dedicated to deployment of solar energy in the healthcare sector.
- Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is published by German watch, New Climate
Institute and the Climate Action Network. The national performances are assessed based
on 14 indicators in the following four categories: 1. GHG emissions (weighting 40%) 2.
Renewable energy (weighting 20%) 3. Energy use (weighting 20%) 4. Climate policy
(weighting 20%).

- The Climate Equity Monitor is an online dashboard that assesses equity in climate action,
inequities in emissions, energy and resource consumption around the world, and current
climate policies in a number of countries at the international level. The Climate Equity
Monitor is designed to track the performance of UNFCCC Annex-I Parties (developed
nations) based on the Climate Convention's basic principles, such as equity and the idea of
shared but differentiated obligations and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC).

- The Bonn Climate Change Conference has been the first opportunity for all Parties to the
UNFCCC to meet since the adoption of the Glasgow Climate Pact at COP26 last year (2021).
Major outcomes of the conference: First technical dialogue of the Global Stocktake,
designed to review collective progress towards achieving the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit
global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Global Stocktake is a fundamental component of
the Paris Agreement which is used to monitor its implementation and evaluate the collective
progress made in achieving the agreed goals.

- “Global Goal on Adaptation” (GGA), which aims to reduce vulnerability, strengthen

resilience and increase the capacity of people and the planet to adapt to the impacts of
climate change, was discussed and it's not related to protection of endangered species.

I) ENV ORG AND INT ENV CONVENTIONS

- NATIONAL BOARD FOR WILDLIFE: It is a statutory body constituted under Section 5A of the
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA). It approves projects (including government projects)
in and around the protected areas (national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, etc.) 47 members
including the Prime Minister. Among these, 19 members are ex-officio members. Other
members include three Members of Parliament (two from Lok Sabha and one from Rajya
Sabha), five NGOs and 10 eminent ecologists, conservationists and environmentalists.

- CAQM is a statutory mechanism and it is a permanent body with over 20 members. CAQM
replaced the 22-year-old EPCA. The EPCA was criticized for not exercising its statutory
powers and for merely functioning as an advisory body to the Supreme Court.

- United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in October 2012 launched the Biodiversity
Finance Initiative – BIOFIN, as a new global partnership seeking to address the biodiversity
finance challenge in a comprehensive manner – building a sound business case for increased
investment in the management of ecosystems and biodiversity

- Biodiversity Samrakshan Internship Prog: The programme wishes to engage dynamic and
creative students, who are willing to learn about natural resource management and
biodiversity conservation and to support the projects of NBA in various State and Union
Territories and to technically assist the State Biodiversity Boards/UTs Biodiversity Council in
discharge of their mandates. an open, transparent, online competitive process.
- “Not All Animal Migrate by Choice”: The UN Environment India and Wildlife Crime Control
Bureau (WCCB) of India launched an awareness campaign ‘Not all animals migrate by choice’
to be displayed at major airports across the country. In collaboration with the Airports
Authority of India and GMR Group, the campaign will travel across 22 airports across India
over the next year. Both WCCB and UN Environment initiated a comprehensive approach
with a focus on awareness building of various stakeholders towards the issue of prevention
of illegal trade and smuggling of wildlife and wildlife products through exit points.

- Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory multi-disciplinary body established by the

Government of India under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to combat organized
wildlife crime in the country. ‘X ray images of Wildlife Products’ is a catalogue of Wildlife
Contraband Commonly carried in personal baggage by smugglers.

- "Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems" (GIAHS) are outstanding landscapes of

aesthetic beauty that combine agricultural biodiversity, resilient ecosystems and a valuable
cultural heritage. Located in specific sites around the world, they sustainably provide
multiple goods and services, food and livelihood security for millions of small-scale farmers

- Vision Plan (2021-2031) for Indian zoos to upgrade them to global standards and
strengthening of Central Zoo Authority- The vision document is committed to making CZA
and Indian zoos a greater force for conservation by providing unparalleled animal care,
cutting edge research, and immersive visitor experiences that strike meaningful chords with
people of all ages.

- USERS has been created as a new ‘pressure mechanism’, which highlights the issue and
facilitates information sharing on the subject thereby enabling adoption of better
standards/practices. The Urban Services Environmental Rating System (USERS) Project
funded by UNDP, executed by the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change and
implemented by Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI).

- The International Energy Agency is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental

organization established in the framework of the Organization for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis.

- Ansupa Lake is a horse shoe shaped fresh water lake on the left bank of the Mahanadi
River, in Odisha, India. It is a fresh water lake situated amidst the Saranda Hills and
enclosed by bamboo tree greenery and mango trees. Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary locally
known as "Chitrangudi Kanmoli" is a Protected area declared in 1989 and a part of
Chitrangudi village in Tamil Nadu. It is adjacent to Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary.
Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary is a Protected area near Mudukulathur Ramanathapuram
District, Tamil Nadu. It is adjacent to Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary vegetation
is mostly tropical dry deciduous forest. It is dominated by babul along with Prosopis juliflora
and the grasses Bermuda grass and Eremopogon foveolatus.

- World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization
founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of
human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which
remains its official name in Canada and the United States.
- INCOIS is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). It is
located in Hyderabad & was established in 1999. It is a unit of the Earth System Science
Organisation (ESSO), New Delhi. Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services
(INCOIS) has carried out Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) mapping to assess the probable
implications of sea-level rise along the Indian coast. Algal Bloom Information Service has
been developed by the INCOIS.

- The Ramsar Small Grants Fund has been established to provide financial aid for developing
countries in the protection and wise use of wetlands. It has been estd under Ramsar
Convention 1971.

- The International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage (BUNKER) is
an international treaty listed and administered by the International Maritime Organization,
enforced from 2008. The purpose is to adopt uniform international rules and procedures for
determining questions of liability and providing adequate compensation. The Convention
covers leakage of that oil and requires signatories to the Convention to have their ships
appropriately insured against such leakages. The Convention was adopted to ensure that
adequate, prompt, and effective compensation is available to persons who suffer damage
caused by spills of oil, when carried as fuel in ships' bunkers.

- Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is designated nodal agency for CITES related enforcement.

- The One Ocean summit was organised by France in Brest, France in cooperation with the
United Nations and the World Bank.The summit was addressed by various other Heads of
State and Governments from countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, South Korea,
Japan, Canada among others. The goal of the One Ocean Summit is to raise the collective
level of ambition of the international community on marine issues. UNESCO has announced
that at least 80% of the seabed will be mapped by 2030, compared to 20% currently, in
collaboration with other UN bodies and with the support of its Member States and the
private sector.

- The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) launched India’s 1st Climate Hazards and
Vulnerability Atlas. The web Atlas is depicted using Geographic Information System (GIS)
tools and not Global Positioning System (GPS) tools. IMD has now prepared a Web version
of Climate Hazards and Vulnerability Atlas of India for the thirteen most hazardous
meteorological events.

- 30 × 30′ is a global target, which means that parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
together, have to protect 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030.

- The Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) is a self-governed community of more than 60
organizations and individuals committed to transforming food and land use for people,
nature and climate. World Research Institute is the secretariat, as well as founding
member and core partner, of Food and Land Use Coalition. The Coalition has also partnered
with a number of global initiatives, including: Food Systems Dialogues; Nature4Climate; A
Just Rural Transition; the United Nations Food Systems Summit; and The Food Systems
Economics Commission. The State of Food and Agriculture, one of FAO's major annual
 flagship publications, aims at bringing to a wider audience balanced science-based
assessments of important issues in the field of food and agriculture.

- TRAFFIC’s latest campaign is the WANTED ALIVE series on the four Asian big cats- Tiger,
Leopard, Snow Leopard and Clouded Leopard—all of them threatened by illegal trade in
their body parts.

- The Boma capturing technique, which is popular in Africa, involves luring of animals into
an enclosure by chasing them through a funnel-like fencing. India employed Boma
technique at Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan for capturing and translocating spotted
deer to Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve. This transfer will lead to herbivores populating the
Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve ahead of the proposed shifting of two tigers to Mukundara.

- The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is co-led by two UN agencies - the UNEP and the
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

- wetlands of national importance under Ramsar Convention:

 If a site regularly supports 20,000 or more water birds.

 If a site regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or
subspecies of waterbirds.
 If a site supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies, species or
families, life- history stages, species interactions and/or populations that are
representative of wetland benefits and/or values and thereby contributes to global
biological diversity.

 If a site supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species; or

threatened ecological communities.

- “Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India” is published by Space Application

Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad

J) AGRICULTURE

- Hybrid seeds are being distributed free of cost for the first time in line with building Atma
Nirbhar Bharat through Atma Nirbhar Krishi with the objective to popularize new varieties
with high yield potential and other useful features. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare has approved 8,20,600 seed mini-kits.

- The program has been started under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) - Oil Seed
and Oil Palm Scheme. After a micro-level plan for the major mustard producing states of the
country, approval has been given to implement mini-kit distribution of rapeseed and
mustard seeds also.

- The Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic plants (CIMAP) has developed a high-
yielding curcuminoid-rich variety of turmeric (Curcuma longa), named CIM-Pitamber.
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institute has developed an anti-methanogenic
feed supplement ‘Harit Dhara’. When given to bovines and sheep, it not only cuts down
their methane emissions by 17-20%, but also results in higher milk production and body
weight gain. Harit Dhara acts by decreasing the population of protozoa microbes in the
rumen, responsible for hydrogen production and making it available to the archaea for
reduction of CO2 to methane.

- The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund is a central sector scheme that provides medium - long
term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management
infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and credit
guarantee. The duration of the scheme is from FY2020 to FY2029 (10 years). Eligible
beneficiaries include farmers, FPOs, PACS, Marketing Cooperative Societies, SHGs, Joint
Liability Groups (JLG), Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, Agri-entrepreneurs, Start-ups

- Horticulture Cluster Development Programme (CDP) is a central sector programme

implemented by the National Horticulture Board (NHB) of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers’ Welfare. It aims at growing and developing identified horticulture clusters to make
them globally competitive. The programme is designed to leverage geographical
specialization and promote integrated and market-led development of horticulture clusters

- An entomopathogenic (causing disease to insects) fungus as the name itself suggests is a

fungus that can act as a parasite of insects and killed or seriously disables them.
Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are common in terrestrial environments and can be
important natural regulators of insect and arachnid populations. Entomopathogenic fungi,
unlike other groups of insect pathogenic microorganisms, infect their hosts directly through
the exoskeleton. In contrast, insect-associated viruses, bacteria and microsporidia penetrate
and infect the host via the mid-gut following ingestion.

- Entomopathogenic fungi specifically infect and often kill insects and other arthropods. Most
are non-pathogenic to plants, and relatively non-toxic to humans and animals. Though
fungus-infected insects can be commonly found in nature, and epizootics are observed
impacting pest populations, mortality from fungal infection rarely occurs naturally at
sufficiently high levels or early enough in a pest cycle to prevent economic loss.

- Ranjit Sub1, Swarna Sub1 and Bahadur Sub1 are flood-tolerant paddy varieties developed
by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Manila-based International Rice
Research Institute.

- Biotech-Krishi Innovation Science Application Network (Biotech-KISAN) is a Department of

Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology initiative that empowers farmers,
especially women farmers. Biotech-Krishi Innovation Science Application Network (Biotech-
KISAN) is being implemented in 15 agro-climatic zones of India in a phased manner.

- Technical Assistance for Development of Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains in Mizoram:

- Project is implemented in the State of Mizoram to strengthen capacities of government
institutions and extension services in Mizoram to support local communities in improved
jhum management, sustainable value chain development, and exposure of project staff to
best agro-ecological practices.
- Fogponics is a sub-technique of aeroponics. Fogponics/Aeroponics works by hanging the
plants in the air. It is held by a tray/foam. The plant roots are suspended, so they have
plenty of oxygen access. Water is provided by plants via the foggers The fogponics system
uses foggers, which pump and vibrate under pressure to transform a nutrient and water
mixture into humidity, not dissimilar to the humid atmosphere one might find in the
rainforest. This fog creates a constant nutrient-rich environment for plant roots.

- The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare launched a Global Environment Facility
(GEF) assisted project namely, “Green – Ag: Transforming Indian Agriculture for global
environment benefits and the conservation of critical biodiversity and forest landscapes” in
collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in high-conservation-value
landscapes.

- Women scientists from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) of ICAR developed
Refrigeration System Pusa-FSF & a technology related to extraction of gluten from wheat
dough and its regeneration. The 10x10x10 ft cold store structure designed by the scientists
can stock enough vegetables and fruits to fully load a Tata 407 mini truck.

- Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana - Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector
Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) with broad objectives of making farming a remunerative
economic activity through strengthening the farmer’s effort, risk mitigation with major
focus on development and creation of pre & post-harvest infrastructure. MANAGE-CIA,
Centre for Innovation and Agripreneurship is a Centre of Excellence and Knowledge
Partner to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare for Implementation of
RKVYRAFTAAR Scheme.

Under this scheme, funds are released to the State Governments/UTs on the basis of
projects related to agriculture and allied sectors, approved by the State Level Sanctioning
Committee (SLSC) headed by the Chief Secretary of the concerned State/UT which is the
empowered body to approve projects for implementation under this scheme.

- The Union Ministry of Textiles launched the Certified Jute Seeds Distribution Plan and Jute
Farmers Awareness Workshop, organized at ICAR-CRIJAF Institute at Barrackpore, West
Bengal, to urge the farmers to use certified seeds to increase their income and productivity
and contribute to the country in Jute diversified and technical textile products. The
Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise for Jute (Jute ICARE) was launched in
2015 to popularize/introduce some of the better agronomic practices and recently
developed microbial assisted retting among farmers intensively in a few blocks in West
Bengal and Assam on pilot basis. ICAR-Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibers
(ICAR-CRIJAF) was established in Dhaka in 1938.

- National Bee Board (NBB), a registered society under the Societies Registration Act XXI of
1860, was reconstituted by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Secretary (A & C), Dept. of Agriculture, Cooperation and
Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is the ex- officio chairman of
the NBB

- Maitri Incubation Programme is a six Months Mentoring Program promoting agri start-ups
with innovative ideas between India & Brazil. The Pusa Krishi Incubator, of ICAR- Indian
 Agricultural Research Institute had launched the “Maitri - Indo-Brazil Agri-Tech Cross
Border. Incubation Programme” at the National Agricultural Science Centre Complex,
provide agritech startups access to the global market through mutual benefits and shared
learning.

- The National Bee Board (NBB), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under National
Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) launched the Madhu Kranti Portal for Traceability of
Source of Honey and Other Hive Products with the help of a digital platform. The technical
and banking partner for development of this digital platform is Indian Bank.

- The 'Sustainable Agriculture Policy Action Agenda for the Transition to Sustainable
Agriculture and Global Action Agenda for Innovation in Agriculture' was among the highlight
action pledges to be clinched by the participating countries at the 26th Conference of
Parties COP26 climate summit of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) In Glasgow, UK in 2021. India is one of the 27 countries to sign this
action agenda. World Bank committed to spend $25 billion in climate finance annually till
2025 through its Climate Action Plan.

- Purple or Lavender Revolution was launched by the Ministry of Science & Technology
through the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) which aimed at increasing
lavender cultivation in Jammu and Kashmir. Aroma Mission launched by CSIR (Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research) to bring transformative change in the aroma sector
through desired interventions in the areas of agriculture. Apart from providing planting
material, distillation units are provided and farmers are trained in extraction and many of
them have become entrepreneurs as lavender oil is quite sought after. Efforts are being
made by North East Centre for Technology Application & Reach (NECTAR) to expand the
saffron bowl of India (earlier confined to Kashmir) to parts of the North East. A pilot
project has yielded successful results in Yangang village of South Sikkim, which produced
its first crop of saffron this September

- The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is an
international non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for
development in the drylands of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. It was founded in 1972 by a
consortium of organisations convened by the Ford and the Rockefeller foundations. Since
its inception, host country India has granted a special status to ICRISAT as a UN
Organization operating in the Indian territory making it eligible for special immunities and
tax privileges

- The main difference between permaculture and a farm is the energy cycle. In
permaculture gardening as energy is transferred from one source to another before
leaving the system entirely and hence an energy loop is created. Whereas, with organic
gardening, since fertilizers are used, the waste from one plant becomes food for another
organism and hence, this method of farming act as an energy source. Permacultures’
primary focus is a holistic way of thinking, creating a balance between the outdoor and the
indoor environment in a harmonious, natural way. Organic farming focuses on mostly
growing annuals, such as corn, rice, legumes, and other vegetables. Permaculture
concentrates more on perennials like artichokes, asparagus, and rhubarb, fruit and nut
trees, and berry bushes.
- Regenerative agriculture describes farming and grazing practices that reverse climate
change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity –
resulting in both carbon drawdown and improving the water cycle. It is dynamic and
holistic, incorporating permaculture (sustainable and self-sufficient agricultural
ecosystems) and organic farming practices, including conservation tillage, cover crops,
crop rotation, composting, mobile animal shelters and pasture cropping, to increase food
production, farmers’ income and especially, topsoil.

- A pangenome is the entire set of genes from all strains within a clade, a group of all
organisms that share a common ancestor. Grown in more than 50 countries, chickpea is
the world's third-most cultivated legume. More than 90% of chickpea cultivation area is in
South Asia, including India. India is the single largest producer of chickpea in the world,
accounting for 65% (9.075 million tonnes) of the total production under chickpea.

- Due to rising prices of vegetable oil in India and curbs on Indonesian exports, the Indian
government launched the National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), with an
investment of over Rs 11,000 crore over a five-year period. The special emphasis of the
scheme will be in India’s North-Eastern (NE) states and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
due to the conducive weather conditions in the regions.

- Millets are classified into Major Millets and Minor Millets based on their grain size not on
plant size.

- Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought (BOLD) seeks to create bamboo-based green patches in
arid and semi-arid land zones.It will reduce desertification and provide livelihood and
multi-disciplinary rural industry support. The project “Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought”
(BOLD) is the first of its kind exercise in India which was launched from the tribal village
Nichla Mandwa in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

- Carbon farming is a system of agricultural management that helps the land store more
carbon and reduce the amount of GHG that it releases into the atmosphere. Carbon
farming is successful when carbon gains resulting from enhanced land management or
conservation practices exceed carbon losses. In India, Meghalaya is currently working on a
blueprint of a ‘carbon farming’ Act to create a prototype of sustainable agriculture model
for the entire North-East region.

- The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), is one of the eight Missions
under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and seeks to address issues
regarding 'Sustainable Agriculture' in the context of risks associated with climate change by
devising appropriate adaptation and mitigation techniques. NMSA's major objective is to
devise strategic plans at the agro-climatic zone level so that action plans are
contextualised to regional scales in the areas of research and development (R&D),
technology and practices, infrastructure and capacity building. Soil Health Management
(SHM), one of the components under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
(NMSA) aims at promoting Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) through judicious use of
chemical fertilizers.
I) INSTITUTIONS AND MEASURES

- Mangroves for the Future is the flagship intiative Co-chaired by IUCN and UNDP.
Mangroves are the flagship of this initiative, but is inclusive of all types of coastal
ecosystem, such as coral reefs, estuaries, lagoons, sandy beaches, seagrass and wetlands. It
consists of Asian countries only: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Maldives,
Myanmar, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam

- National Green Corps is a programme of the Ministry of Environment and Forests of

Government of India covering around 1,20,000 schools in India with NGC School Eco Clubs.

- National Environment Awareness Campaign (NEAC) is a national level programme launched

by the MOEF. The campaign focuses on scientific environment issues of national and local
importance. Different implementing agencies/institutions are responsible for implementing
the NEAC. For e.g The NEAC theme is decided by the MOEF. Consumer Unity and Trust
Society (CUTS), Jaipur, is implementing the NEAC in Rajasthan state since the year 2006 as
the Regional Resource Agency (RRA), appointed by the MoEF, whereas recently the
Himachal Pradesh State Council for Science and Technology has been designated as a
Regional Resource Agency for HP by MOEF to coordinate the NEAC activities in the State.

- Environment Education Awareness and Training (EEAT) is an established central sector

scheme of the Ministry continuing since 1983-84 and aims to promote environmental
awareness and mobilize student’s participation for environment conservation.

- “Science Express” redesigned as "Science Express Climate Action Special" is an innovative

mobile science exhibition mounted on a 16-coach AC train, which has been custom-built for
the Department of Science & Technology (DST) by Indian Railway. The Express is a unique
collaborative initiative of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and Ministry of Railway. In 2012, with UN declaration
of 2011-2020 as 'Decade on Biodiversity' & India holding Chair of the COP-11 to Convention
of Biological Diversity, Science Express was redesigned on the theme 'Biodiversity' and from
2012 to 2014, it was running as Science Express Biodiversity Special (SEBS).

- Science Express showcased the fascinating world of science, groundbreaking discoveries,

cutting-edge science & future-oriented technologies through interactive exhibits, models &
videos created by Nobel laureates of Max Planck Society, Germany.

- The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 is a National Mission document
providing the vision and the roadmap for the faster adoption of electric vehicles and their
manufacturing in the country. The Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises issued
the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan. As part of the NEMMP 2020, the Department of
Heavy Industry formulated a Scheme viz. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &)
Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme in the year 2015 to promote manufacturing of
electric and hybrid vehicle technology and to ensure sustainable growth of the same. The 1st
Phase of FAME India Scheme was implemented through four focus areas namely (i) Demand
Creation, (ii) Technology Platform, (iii) Pilot Project and (iv) Charging Infrastructure. The
Department of Heavy Industry notified Phase-II of the Scheme with the approval of Cabinet
with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 Crore for a period of 3 years commencing from 1st April 2019.
- Biodiversity Conservation and Rural Livelihood Improvement Project for India aims to
develop and promote new models of conservation at the landscape scale through
enhanced capacity and institution building for mainstreaming biodiversity conservation
outcomes. The Funding Source is the GEF Trust Fund whereas the Implementing Agency is
the World Bank and the Executing Agency is Government of India, Ministry of Environment
and Forests (Central Level), as per India’s scenario.

- Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS) was launched in the year 2006-07 with a view to provide
concessional short term crop loans including loans availed through Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to
the farmers. The benefits of ISS can also be availed by farmers in allied activities like Animal
Husbandry and Fisheries and those farmers who already possess KCC within the overall limit
of Rs.3.00 lakhs. The Interest Subvention Scheme is being implemented by NABARD and RBI.

- The National Gene Bank established in the year 1996 to preserve the seeds of Plant Genetic
Resources (PGR) for future generations, has the capacity to preserve about one million
germplasm in the form of seeds. National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources is meeting the
need of in-situ and ex-situ germplasm conservation through Delhi Headquarters and 10
regional stations in the country. The NGB has four kinds of facilities, namely, Seed Genebank
(- 18°C), Cryogenebank (-170°C to -196°C), In vitro Genebank (25°C) and Field Genebank, to
cater to long-term as well as medium-term conservation. It stores different crop groups such
as cereals, millets, medicinal and aromatic plants and narcotics, etc.

- The ‘Forum for Decarbonizing Transport’ is a one-stop platform for initiating dialogues and
coordination between the stakeholders and partners and will help in achieving specific
results in reducing emissions from the transport sector. NITI Aayog and World Resources
Institute (WRI) India, jointly launched the ‘Forum for Decarbonizing Transport’ in India as
part of the NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) project.

- The National Wetlands Conservation Programme (NWCP) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme

(CSS) by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change to protect wetlands around
the country (NWCP). Wetland management is the responsibility of state governments/UT
administrations because the land resources belong to them. The criteria for identifying
wetlands of national significance under the NWCP are the same as under the Ramsar
Convention on Wetlands. The overall coordination of wetland conservation programs is the
responsibility of the central government. The NWCP provides funding for two types of
projects: Management Action Plans (MAP) and Research Projects. The Scheme provides 100
percent funding for all activities.

- E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 These rules shall apply to every manufacturer,
producer, consumer, bulk consumer, collection centres, dealers, e-retailer, refurbisher,
dismantler and recycler involved in manufacture, sale, transfer, purchase, collection, storage
and processing of e-waste or electrical and electronic equipment listed in Schedule I but
shall not apply to micro enterprises as defined in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Development Act, 2006. Every manufacturer, producer, bulk consumer, collection centre,
 dealer, refurbisher, dismantler and recycler may store the e-waste for a period not
exceeding one hundred and eighty days. SPCB may extend it upto 365 days in specific
cases. Originally, the Basel Convention (1992) did not mention e-waste but later it
addressed the issues of e-waste in 2006 (COP8). The Nairobi Declaration was adopted at
COP9 of the Basel Convention on the Control of the Trans-boundary Movement of
Hazardous Waste. It aimed at creating innovative solutions for the environmentally sound
management of electronic wastes.

- ‘Fly Ash Management and Utilisation Mission’. The Mission is to be jointly headed by the
secretaries of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC),
Union Ministry of Coal and Power, keeping on board chief secretaries of respective states
where the mission is being implemented.

- The Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change (MoEF&CC) is an initiative for skill development in the environment and
forest sector to enable India's youth to get gainful employment and/or self-employment.

- The UK announced the launch of the Clydebank Declaration at COP26 in Glasgow in

November 2021. Signatory states declared their ambition and intent to support the
establishment of green shipping corridors – zero-emission shipping routes between 2
ports

- IPBES is meant to act as a tool for performing environmental assessments. IPBES publishes a
Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, which is analogous to the IPCC's
Assessment on Climate Change. It also identifies and addresses our member states',
experts', and stakeholders' most pressing capacity, knowledge, and data requirements. Only
states are members of this intergovernmental organisation. The United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) provides secretariat services to IPBES at the request of
the IPBES Plenary and with the approval of the UNEP Governing Council in 2013.

- The World Urban Forum was established in 2001 by the United Nations to examine one of
the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanisation and its impact on
communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. The Eleventh Session of the
World Urban Forum (WUF11) took place in Katowice, Poland from 26 to 30 June 2022. The
theme of WUF11 is Transforming our Cities for a Better Urban Future.

- The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is a non-profit research institute. It was
established in 1974 as Tata Energy Research Institute and renamed to The Energy Resources
Institute in 2003. The World Sustainable Development Summit is an annual event since
2001. Initiatives of TERI: Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL) is an initiative to provide clean
lighting access to the bottom of the pyramid communities; Green Olympiad is conducted by
TERI in association with MoEFCC; Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA)
was conceived by TERI and developed with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. It
is a national rating system for green buildings in India.

- NITI Aayog released a report titled Harnessing Green Hydrogen: Opportunities for Deep
Decarbonization in India. Three hydrogen corridors should be developed across the
country based on state grand challenges.
- The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) – established in 2019 under the
leadership of the Government of India and with the support UNDRR (United Nations Office
for Disaster Risk Reduction). Its objective is to promote the resilience of both new and
existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable
development. Global Resilience Index initiative (GRII) is released by the CDRI along with
other global organisations such as Insurance Development Forum (IDF); Coalition for Climate
Resilient Investment etc. CDRI is the partnership of National governments, UN agencies,
Multilateral development banks, Knowledge institutions and private sectors.

- The State Energy and Climate Index (SECI), recently launched by the NITI Aayog, aims to
track and benchmark the efforts made by States and Union Territories (UTs) in the climate
and energy sector, capturing dimensions such as energy access, consumption, efficiency, and
environmental protection.

- Recently, UNESCO, World Resources Institute (WRI) and International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released the ‘World heritage Forests’ report. It provides the
first global scientific assessment of greenhouse gas emissions and sequestration by forests
in UNESCO World Heritage sites (WHS). India’s Sundarbans National Park is among five
sites that have the highest blue carbon stocks globally.

- The Global Wildlife Program is a World-Bank led global partnership of 19 countries in Asia
and Africa that promotes wildlife conservation and sustainable development by combating
illicit trafficking and poaching in wildlife. In June 2015, the Global Environment Facility
(GEF) launched the “Global Partnership on Wildlife Conservation and Crime Prevention for
Sustainable Development” program also known as the Global Wildlife Program (GWP).
Global Wildlife Program seeks to reduce both supply and demand that drives illegal
wildlife trade, and protect species and habitats through integrated landscape planning.

- TRAFFIC’s “HIGH FLYING: Insight into wildlife trafficking through India’s airports” analysis
found the trafficking of over 70,000 native and exotic wild animals, including their body parts
or derivatives (weighing around 4000kg) in 141 wildlife seizure incidents at 18 Indian airports
between 2011-2020.

- India has adopted the Statute of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) and
become its member in order to strengthen ties with the member countries in controlling
the trans-boundary wildlife crime through communication, collaboration, capacity building
and cooperation in the region. SAWEN, a regional network comprising eight countries in
South Asia such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri
LankaSAWEN was officially launched in January, 2011 in Paro Bhutan.

- National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board (NAEB) was set up as an autonomous

body in 1992 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Major
function of the NAEB is to evolve mechanisms for ecological restoration of degraded forest
areas and adjoining lands through systematic planning and implementation, in a cost-
effective manner.

- The National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) has been created out of cess on coal
produced/imported under the “polluter pays” principle under public accounts of India. The
 Fund lies under the Public Account with its secretariat in the Department of Expenditure,
Ministry of Finance. NCEF was built on the ‘polluter pays’ principle to hold emitters of
carbon dioxide responsible for the pollution. Climate Finance refers to local, national or
transnational financing—drawn from public, private and alternative sources of financing. It
seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change.

- Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) is the assessment of how well protected areas
such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves, community reserves
and tiger reserves are being managed and their effectiveness in conserving target flora and
fauna.

- Maharashtra became the first state in the country to adopt the Fly Ash Utilization Policy.
The policy paved the way for prosperity by generating wealth from waste and environment
protection.

- Provided that these rules shall not apply to the wetlands falling in areas covered under the:
Indian Forest Act, 1927, Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, Forest (Conservation)
Act, 1980, State Forest Acts, and Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011 as amended
from time to time

- The Forest Advisory Committee is a statutory body which was constituted by the Forest
(Conservation) Act 1980

- National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem. Recognizing the importance of
scientific and technological inputs required for sustaining the fragile Himalayan Ecosystem,
the Ministry of Science and Technology has been charged with the nodal responsibility of
coordinating this mission.

- According to section 38 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, no State Government shall de-
notify a tiger reserve, except in public interest with the approval of the Tiger Conservation
Authority and the National Board for Wild Life.

- Eco-Sensitive Zones or Ecologically Fragile Areas are areas within 10 kms around Protected
Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries

- In order to stop littering due to light weight plastic carry bags, with effect from 30th
September, 2021, the thickness of plastic carry bags has been increased from 50 microns
to 75 microns and to 120 microns with effect from the 31st December, 2022.

- The Amendment Act made reduction in certain offences: The provision which made
offences under the act cognizable and non-bailable was deleted. However, penalties may
extend up to ₹1 crore. As per Section 58 of the existing BD Act, these offenses are
cognizable and non-bailable.

- Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act have the provision about the restriction on the
State Government for de-reservation of the forests. It prohibits the State Government,
except prior permission from central government for issuing orders on de-reservation of
forests. Section 2 of the Act have the provision about the restriction on the State
 Government for de-reservation of the forests. It prohibits the State Government, except
prior permission from central government for issuing orders on de-reservation of forests

- The Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022 has announced guidelines to
allow for sale and purchase of surplus extended producer responsibility. certificates. This
will set-up a market mechanism for plastic waste management. The new guideline has
divided the plastics in four categories - one of them is Rigid plastic. Reuse of rigid plastic
packaging material (Not Flexible Plastic) has been mandated in the guidelines to reduce the
use of fresh plastic material for packaging. The new rules called for establishing a
centralised online portal by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

- Trading of EPR certificates takes place through an online portal where companies will
specify their annual production and e-waste collection targets. (Not on IEX platform).
Central Pollution Control Board is the chief entity that will coordinate the trade of EPR
certificates and monitor targets of the company. Recyclers on processing a certain quantity
of waste would be given a certificate verifying this number by the Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB).

- Central Pollution Control Board is executing a nation-wide programme of ambient air

quality monitoring known as National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP). Under
N.A.M.P., four air pollutants viz., Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Oxides of Nitrogen as NO2, Respirable
Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM / PM10) and Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) have
been identified for regular monitoring at all the locations. The monitoring of meteorological
parameters such as wind speed and wind direction, relative humidity (RH) and temperature
were also integrated with the monitoring of air quality.

- Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food
and Public Distribution is the nodal department for promotion of fuel grade ethanol
producing distilleries in the country.

- Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is a statutory body established under the
Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas
Act, 2021. CAQM will be headed by to be chaired by a government official of the rank of
Secretary or Chief Secretary. The Commission will supersede bodies such as the central
and state pollution control boards of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan.

- According to the CAMPA Act’s provision, a company diverting forest land must provide
alternative land to take up compensatory afforestation. These Funds will receive payments
for: (i) compensatory afforestation ii) Net present value of forest (NPV), and iii) other
project specific payments. NPV is the ecological cost of forests.
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