India re-elected to the International Maritime Organization (IMO)

• India re-elected to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council for 2026–27 with highest votes. India has been re-elected in Category B, comprising countries with the largest interest in international seaborne trade.
• IMO Council consists of 40 elected members across three categories  (A,B and C) and functions as the executive body of the IMO.

International Maritime Organization (HQ: London, UK)

• Genesis: 1948 as Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO), but the name was changed in 1982 to IMO.
• Role: United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping.
• Create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.

Role of IMO in Maritime Safety

IMO Conventions and Strategies:

• International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) prevents and minimizes pollution (oil, garbage, air) from ships.
• Ballast Water Management Convention aims to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species.
• International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) establishes minimum safety standards for ships, including requirements for fire protection and navigation.
• International Convention on Standards for Training Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers Convention sets qualifications for seafarer training and certification.
• 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships seeks to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.

Annual Groundwater Quality Report 2025 released by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)

• 71.7% of India''s groundwater meets BIS standards but 28.3% of samples exceed limits for one or more parameters,
• Nitrate Contamination: Nitrate is most widespread pollutant nationally, with approximately 20% samples exceeding WHO and BIS limits(45 mg/L) ,followed by fluoride and salinity
• It is largely attributed to anthropogenic sources, e.g. fertilizer use and sewage and animal waste seeping in groundwater.
• Uranium contamination: Samples with uranium levels above the safe limit of 30 ppb were found at 6.71% during the Pre-Monsoon and 7.91% during post-monsoon.
• Punjab recorded  highest contamination, followed by Haryana and Delhi
• Salinity: Salinity (Electrical Conductivity,) is a critical issue in arid and semi-arid regions like Rajasthan and Delhi, exceeding limits in 7.23% of samples.,
• Fluoride -  8.05% of nationwide samples exceeded limit however it was predominantly geogenic (naturally occurring). Rajasthan showed highest contamination
• Lead - Delhi recorded highest contamination. It can impair cognitive development , increases blood pressure, affect kidney and is classified as probable carcinogen
• Irrigation Suitability: The groundwater quality is largely suitable for irrigation purposes. The majority of samples, 94.30%, fall into the "excellent category”.
• Other Trace Metal and Geogenic Contaminations: Arsenic (especially in Ganga and Brahamaputra basin), Manganese (e.g., Assam, Karnataka, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal) etc.

 CGWB (Faridabad, Haryana )

• Origin: Established in 1970 by renaming the Exploratory Tube wells Organization
• Ministry: Under Ministry of Jal Shakti
• Role: Management, exploration, monitoring, regulation etc of ground water resources of the country
• It is also discharging the functions as Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) established under Environment Protection Act, 1986.

Methane Hotspot Warning for India

• A UNEP report released at COP30 (Belem, Brazil) identifies India as a global methane hotspot, especially from stubble burning and waste burning.
• India emitted ≈9% of global emissions, making it the world’s 3rd-largest emitter, yet methane was absent from India’s COP30 national statement.

Key Findings of the UNEP Report

• India emitted about 31 Mt of methane in 2020, accounting for 9% of global methane emissions.
• Methane emissions from waste burning in India rose 64% (1995–2020), significantly higher than the global rise of 43%.
• Agricultural methane from India accounts for 12% of global agricultural methane.
• Methane from rice cultivation in India is projected to increase by 8% between 2020 and 2030.
• India generated 20 Mt methane from agriculture and 4.5 Mt from the energy sector in 2020.
• The G20, including India, contributes 65% of global methane emissions as per UNEP’s assessment.

India’s Methane Emission Profile

• Livestock Emissions: Enteric fermentation produces ~20 Mt methane (India’s largest emission source).
• Rice Cultivation: Methane release in paddy fields projected to rise 8% by 2030.
• Waste Burning: Methane from waste burning surged 64% (1995–2020), reaching 7.4 Mt.
• Energy Sector: Coal mining, biomass burning, and oil & gas leakages emit ~4.5 Mt methane annually.

Why Methane Was Omitted from India’s COP30 Statement?

• Agriculture Sensitivity: Over 54% of India’s workforce depends on agriculture, and livestock, rice, the top methane sources, are politically and socio-economically sensitive sectors.
• Food Security Concerns: Rice systems emit 12% of global agricultural methane, and India fears aggressive methane mitigation may risk food security for 1.4 billion people.
• No Commitment in NDC: UNEP notes India’s NDC “does not identify actions” to cut agricultural methane; mitigation pledges focus instead on renewables, efficiency, hydrogen and forests.
• Past Refusal: India earlier declined the Global Methane Pledge (2021), arguing its priority is adaptation, not mitigation, in agriculture, hence no policy shift at COP30.

Way Forward

• Farm Diversification: Shift from water-intensive paddy to millets/pulses to reduce methane from rice cultivation. E.g. MSP-backed Shri Anna Mission for climate-resilient cropping.
• Straw Management: Expand access to Happy Seeders, balers, and bio-decomposer sprays to eliminate burning. E.g. Delhi–Punjab PUSA Bio-Decomposer pilot.
• Methane Capture: Promote CBG plants for landfill methane capture. E.g. SATAT Scheme
• Waste Reform: Strict enforcement of waste segregation, landfill capping, and biomethanation. E.g. Indore’s biogas-from-waste model.
• Methane Monitoring: Use satellite-based monitoring for real-time methane hotspots. E.g. EU’s Copernicus Methane Tracker model for India’s ISRO systems.
• Policy Integration: Include methane mitigation explicitly in NDC updates and state climate action plans. E.g. New Zealand’s agriculture methane roadmap.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Nigeria

• Nigeria is set to host the first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in West Africa.
• The first batch is expected to begin in 2026, focusing on engineering, technology, and research.
• This initiative marks a major step in India''s global education outreach and is part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which encourages Indian universities to expand internationally.
• The new campus will follow the IIT Madras–Zanzibar model.
• The IIT Madras-Zanzibar campus started in 2023 with students from across Africa.
• The IIT Delhi- Abu Dhabi campus, which opened in 2024, offers courses that match local industry needs.

Taningia silasii (Indian Octopus Squid)

• A new deep-sea squid species, named Taningia silasii or the Indian octopus squid, has been discovered in the Arabian Sea (at about 390 m depth).
• Researchers from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) made the discovery.
• The CMFRI is India’s leading marine fisheries research organisation based in Kochi, Kerala. It operates under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) within the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

About Taningia silasii

• It is the second recognised species in the rare genus Taningia, after Taningia danae, which was discovered in the Atlantic Ocean.
• The specimen belongs to the family Octopoteuthidae, whose adults lack the two long feeding tentacles found in most other squid species.
• It is nicknamed the “octopus squid” because it has only eight arms instead of ten.
• Key Distinction: It differs from T. danae by having fewer gill lamellae and featuring an oval funnel–mantle locking cartilage.
• Genetic Evidence: DNA barcoding showed an 11% divergence from the Atlantic member, confirming it as a separate species.