CURRENT AFFAIRS

Ahead of the Leaders Summit (COP 30) in Belém, Brazil, India announced its participation as an observer country in the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF).

On October 31, 2025, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2025 was held in Gyeongju, South Korea. This summit made headlines, particularly due to the trade agreement between the United States and China.

Recently, the Karnataka government rejected the Kasturirangan Committee’s report for the environmental conservation of the Western Ghats. The state government argued that the report exaggerated the extent of the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), which could hinder developmental projects. This decision has once again revived the debate between development and environmental conservation.

India, being a country with diverse geomorphology and rich biodiversity, faces the challenge of balancing development with environmental conservation. To maintain this balance, the government has developed the concept of Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZs). The idea is to allow controlled development without disturbing the ecological balance of protected areas.

According to recent reports, the water level in the dam reservoirs supplying water to the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad has fallen below 3%, and the country is facing a severe water crisis. The president has warned that if the situation does not improve, the capital, Tehran, may have to be evacuated.

According to a study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, the biomass movement of humans on Earth is 40 times greater than that of all terrestrial animals, birds, and insects combined.

C5+1 is a multilateral diplomatic platform established in 2015 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It includes five Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — plus the United States of America (USA).

Forest conservation in India is not only environmental but also deeply rooted in cultural and spiritual traditions

India recently hosted the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) and the 26th Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) in Kochi, Kerala. These meetings were organized by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.

Geothermal energy is the heat energy stored within the Earth. The term “Geo + Thermal” literally means “Earth + Heat.” This energy flows from the Earth’s core to its surface, primarily generated by the decay of radioactive elements (Uranium, Thorium, Potassium) and residual heat from the Earth’s formation. It can be used for electricity generation, heating, agriculture, and industrial applications.