Southern Ocean Carbon Anomaly

• New research published in Nature Climate Change shows that the Southern Ocean has absorbed more carbon dioxide since the early 2000s, contrary to long-standing climate model predictions.
• This unexpected behaviour—termed a Southern Ocean carbon ‘anomaly’—reveals key processes that climate models have so far underrepresented.

About Southern Ocean Carbon Anomaly:

• The Southern Ocean carbon anomaly refers to the observed strengthening of the Southern Ocean as a carbon sink, even though climate models predicted it would weaken and start releasing carbon dioxide under global warming.
• Instead of emitting more CO₂ due to stronger winds and upwelling, the ocean has continued to absorb an increasing share of human-emitted carbon.

How it occurs?

• Strengthened westerly winds drive upwelling: Climate warming intensifies Southern Hemisphere westerlies, pulling carbon-rich deep waters upward toward the Southern Ocean surface.
• Freshwater input lightens surface layers: Increased Antarctic ice melt and rainfall add freshwater at the surface, making it less salty and more buoyant.
• Stratification forms a surface “lid”: The buoyant freshwater layer strengthens vertical stratification, separating surface waters from deeper, carbon-rich layers.
• Blocked air-sea gas exchange: Although deep waters rise, stratification prevents them from reaching the surface, stopping CO₂ from escaping to the atmosphere.
• Carbon gets trapped below the surface: Upwelled circumpolar deep waters remain approx. 100–200 m below the surface, allowing continued net carbon absorption.
• Small-scale processes amplify the effect: Ocean eddies and ice-shelf cavity dynamics reinforce stratification but are poorly resolved in coarse climate models.

Factors causing the anomaly

• Freshening of surface waters: Increased rainfall and meltwater from Antarctic glaciers have reduced surface salinity, making surface waters lighter and more buoyant.
• Enhanced stratification: Fresher, lighter surface layers sit atop warmer, saltier deep waters, limiting vertical mixing and air-sea gas exchange.
• Trapping of carbon-rich waters below surface: Upwelled circumpolar deep waters remain 100–200 metres below the surface, preventing CO₂ release.
• Incomplete model representation: Climate models struggled to capture small-scale processes such as ocean eddies and ice-shelf cavity dynamics that govern stratification.
• Data limitations: Sparse, seasonal observations in the Southern Ocean reduced the ability to validate and refine model behaviour.

Implications of the anomaly

• Temporary climate buffer: Continued carbon uptake has slowed the accumulation of atmospheric CO₂, buying the world limited time.
• Risk of sudden reversal: Observations suggest surface stratification is thinning; if it collapses, stored deep carbon could rapidly outgas.
• Model refinement imperative: Highlights the need to better integrate ocean chemistry, freshwater inputs, and fine-scale physics into climate models.
• Policy relevance: Reinforces that reliance on natural carbon sinks is risky and cannot substitute for emission reductions.
• Importance of sustained observation: Year-round monitoring of polar oceans is essential to anticipate abrupt climate feedbacks.

Conclusion

• The Southern Ocean carbon anomaly shows that nature can temporarily defy model expectations, but not indefinitely. Freshwater-driven stratification has masked deeper vulnerabilities in the climate system. As this protective layer weakens, the Southern Ocean could swiftly shift from carbon ally to climate amplifier, underscoring the urgency of emissions cuts and better observations.

Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025

• President of India has granted assent to the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, passed in the Winter Session of Parliament.

Viksit Bharat–G RAM G Act, 2025:

• The Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 is a revamped statutory framework for rural employment that replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005. It repositions rural employment as an integrated tool for livelihood security, asset creation, and climate resilience in line with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision.

Aim:

1. Enhance income security of rural households through expanded employment guarantee
2. Transform wage employment into rural development via durable asset creation

Key features:

1. Increased guaranteed employment

• Statutory guarantee raised to not less than 125 days of unskilled manual work per rural household per financial year.
• Unemployment allowance retained if work is not provided within 15 days of demand.

2. Centrally sponsored scheme with revised funding pattern

• Implemented as a centrally sponsored scheme (CSS).
• 60:40 Centre-State sharing for most states; 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan states; 100% central funding for UTs without legislatures.
• States continue to bear unemployment allowance and delay compensation.

3. Normative allocations with state responsibility for excess expenditure

• Centre will notify state-wise normative allocations annually based on prescribed parameters.
• Excess expenditure beyond allocation to be borne by states, without diluting the statutory right to work.

4. Pause during peak agricultural seasons

• States may notify an aggregated pause of up to 60 days in a year during sowing and harvesting seasons.
• Does not reduce the 125-day entitlement, ensuring labour availability for agriculture.

5. Decentralised and integrated planning framework

• Gram Sabhas and Panchayats remain the core planning authorities.
• Works to originate from Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans prepared through participatory processes.
• Plans integrated with PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and aggregated upward for convergence.

6. Focus on priority development domains

Works limited to four thematic areas:

1. Water security
2. Core rural infrastructure
3. Livelihood-related infrastructure
4. Climate resilience and extreme weather mitigation

• Assets mapped into a national rural infrastructure stack to prevent duplication.

7. Strengthened implementation and monitoring

• Retains central and state councils; composition to be notified through Rules.
• Establishes a National Level Steering Committee and State Steering Committees for oversight, convergence, and plan aggregation.

8. Technology-driven transparency with social accountability

• Use of biometric authentication, geo-tagging, real-time dashboards, and weekly public disclosure.
• Social audits by Gram Sabhas strengthened to ensure inclusion and accountability.

The Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI)

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved USD 206 million in emergency funding for Sri Lanka under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI):

• The Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) is an IMF emergency lending facility that provides quick, low-access financial assistance to member countries facing urgent balance-of-payments (BoP) needs, especially during crises such as natural disasters, external shocks, or domestic instability.

Organisation: International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Aim:

• Provide immediate liquidity to countries facing sudden BoP pressures.
• Prevent severe economic disruption when full-fledged IMF programmes are unnecessary or not feasible.
• Support macroeconomic stability during short-term crises.

Key features

Nature of assistance:

• Single, rapid disbursement of funds.
• Designed for urgent and temporary BoP needs.
• No requirement for a comprehensive economic reform
• Windows under RFI

Regular window:

• For BoP stress due to domestic instability, exogenous shocks, or fragility
• Access up to 50% of IMF quota per year and 100% cumulatively

Large Natural Disaster window:

• Applicable when disaster damage equals or exceeds 20% of GDP
• Higher access: up to 80% of quota per year and 133.33% cumulatively

Conditionality framework:

• No ex-post conditionality or programme reviews
• Limited prior actions may be required
• Borrowing country expected to pursue policies addressing underlying BoP problems

Terms of lending:

• Repayment period: 3¼ to 5 years
• Interest rate: Same as IMF’s standard non-concessional facilities (FCL, PLL, SBA)
• Access: Generally one-off, with scope for repeated use in exceptional circumstances

Review and monitoring:

• No formal programme reviews
• IMF monitoring remains light and focused on macroeconomic stability

National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal

• India and the Netherlands have signed an MoU to cooperate on the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal, Gujarat.

National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal:

• The National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) is a flagship cultural and heritage project of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) aimed at showcasing India’s 4,500–5,000-year-old maritime legacy through a world-class museum and cultural complex.
• Location: Lothal, near Ahmedabad, Gujarat
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
• Developed as India’s first comprehensive national institution dedicated exclusively to maritime heritage.

Key features:

• World-class maritime museum with galleries on ancient navigation, shipbuilding, trade routes, naval history, and coastal cultures
• International collaboration, including partnership with the National Maritime Museum, Amsterdam, for design, curation, and conservation
• Maritime research and training centre for scholars and professionals
• Venue for global maritime fairs, exhibitions, and cultural events
• Inclusive public outreach with affordable access for students, local communities, and underprivileged groups
• Integration of modern technology and immersive visitor experiences

Lothal:

• Part of the Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilization cultural landscape , today’s Lothal, near Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Excavation:

• Excavated in 1957 by the Archaeological Survey of India
• Dates back to around 2400 BCE
• Recognised for the discovery of the world’s earliest known man-made dockyard

Key features and significance:

• The Lothal dockyard connected the settlement to ancient maritime trade routes linking Sindh, Saurashtra, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and beyond.
• Evidence of advanced town planning, tidal regulation, and maritime engineering.
• A major port town that facilitated not only trade in goods but also the exchange of cultures, ideas, and technologies.
• Demonstrates India’s continuous maritime tradition spanning over 4,500–5,000 years.

IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC)

• Indian wildlife conservationist Vivek Menon has been elected as the Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) for 2025–2029.
• He is the first Asian to head the Commission in its 75-year history, marking a major milestone for Global South leadership in biodiversity conservation.

IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC):

• The Species Survival Commission (SSC) is the largest and most influential scientific network of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), dedicated to conserving species and halting biodiversity loss worldwide.
• Established in: 1949, alongside the formation of IUCN

Organisation:

• Functions as one of the six expert Commissions of IUCN
• Works closely with the IUCN Secretariat and national governments, NGOs, and research institutions

Aim:

• Prevent species extinctions and support recovery of threatened species.
• Ensure that use of biodiversity is equitable and sustainable.
• Integrate science, policy, and on-ground action for global conservation.

Functions

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Provides scientific assessments categorising species as Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, etc.
• Knowledge generation: Tracks status and trends of species across taxa and regions
• Policy and guidelines: Develops global conservation standards and best-practice frameworks
• Conservation planning: Supports species recovery plans, reintroductions, and habitat management
• Action-oriented partnerships: Catalyses on-ground conservation through collaboration with governments, NGOs, and local communities
• Species Conservation Cycle: Assessment → Planning → Action, supported by communication and monitoring

Significance:

• Forms the scientific backbone of global biodiversity governance.
• Guides national laws, protected area policies, and international conventions such as CBD and CITES.
• Serves as the global gold standard for extinction risk assessment.

Great Indian Bustard

• The Supreme Court, has strengthened safeguards for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) while revising transmission alignments under the Green Energy Corridor (GEC) in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Great Indian Bustard (GIB):

• The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world and the state bird of Rajasthan.
• It is a flagship grassland species and a key indicator of ecosystem health in India’s arid and semi-arid landscapes.
• Estimated population: ~200 individuals worldwide

Conservation status

• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
• Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
• CITES: Appendix I
• CMS (Bonn Convention): Listed species

Habitat and distribution:

• Prefers open, flat grasslands and scrub landscapes with minimal disturbance.
• Historically spread across 11 Indian states and parts of Pakistan; now largely confined to Rajasthan and Gujarat, with small pockets in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• Key habitats include Desert National Park and surrounding agro-grassland mosaics.

Key characteristics:

• Tall bird (~1 metre), brownish body with black crown (more prominent in males).
• Wingspan: 210–250 cm; weight: 15–18 kg.
• Ground-nesting species; females lay a single egg during monsoon.
• Highly vulnerable to overhead power lines, habitat fragmentation, vehicular collisions and free-ranging dogs.

About Green Energy Corridor (GEC):

• The Green Energy Corridor is a national transmission programme to evacuate large-scale renewable energy from resource-rich regions to state and national grids.
• It is critical for integrating solar and wind power into India’s electricity system.
• Located in: Focused on renewable-rich states such as Rajasthan and Gujarat, especially desert and coastal wind–solar zones.

Report on ‘Self-Reliance in Minerals and Metals’

• Standing Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel Presents Report on ‘Self-Reliance in Minerals and Metals’
• The report outlines a roadmap for India to reduce import dependency and achieve the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat.

Self-Sufficiency Levels in Minerals and Metals:

• India is largely self-sufficient in key industrial minerals like bauxite, chromite, iron ore, kyanite, limestone and sillimanite.
• However, certain minerals, such as magnesite, manganese ore, and rock phosphate, are deficient and must be imported to meet domestic demand.
• India is 100% dependent on imports for vital minerals such as lithium, Cobalt, and Nickel.

Key challenges in achieving Self-Sufficiency

• Operational Delays: Out of 486 mineral blocks auctioned since 2015, only 63 are operational. Mining projects face long gestation periods of about 5 to 14.5 years.
• Technology Gap: India lags global standards in automation, AI and IoT use in mining, which raises costs and limits exploration intensity.
• Exploration Constraints: Only about 15% of India’s area has been covered by detailed exploration, mostly focusing on surface deposits rather than deep-seated ones.

Key Recommendations

• Urban Mining & Circular Economy: The committee recommends a focus on recovering minerals from e-waste, industrial scrap, and EV batteries.
• Inter-Ministerial Coordination: Suggests setting up an Inter-Ministerial Group to fast-track post-auction progress and statutory clearances for critical mineral projects.
• Public-Private Collaboration: Encourages leveraging the strengths of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and private sector expertise for faster exploration and processing development.
• Upskilling: Recommends that mining companies allocate a percentage of CSR funds for upskilling the workforce to handle advanced technologies like AI and automation.

Policy Framework for Self-Reliance

• Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act Amendments (2015-2023): Key reforms include the introduction of transparent e-auctions, uniform 50-year lease periods, and a new Exploration Licence (EL) category for 29 deep-seated and critical minerals.
• National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM): Launched in 2025, this mission aims to secure the supply chain for 30 identified critical minerals.
• Overseas Acquisitions: Through KABIL (a joint venture of NALCO, HCL, and MECL), India is actively pursuing mineral assets in resource-rich nations like Argentina, Chile, and Australia.
• Offshore Mining: In 2024, the government launched the first tranche of 13 offshore mineral blocks for auction, targeting construction sand and polymetallic nodules.

Reviving Shipbuilding in India

• Shipbuilding is known as mother of heavy engineering as it enhances national security, strategic independence, and the resilience of trade and energy supply chains.

Current Status of Shipbuilding in India

• Shipbuilding industry accounts for less than 1% of the global shipping market.
• China has the biggest shipbuilding capacity in the world, followed by South Korea and Japan.
• Foreign ships carry 92% of India’s total trade and are paid $75 billion annually for it.
• Cochin Shipyard has India’s highest capacity in shipbuilding and repairing.

Challenges faced by Sector

• High capital costs: Due to expensive financing options available, making large investments risky and limiting shipyards’ ability to scale.
• Import dependence: Lack of indigenous availability of many advanced materials and components.
• Lower productivity: Compared with China, Indian shipyards are less productive, often due to outdated technology, longer build times, Supply chain limitations, etc.
• Strengthening India’s shipbuilding sector is vital to transforming India into a global maritime and shipbuilding hub by 2047

Key Initiatives taken to promote Shipbuilding in India

• Financial Assistance: Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme, Maritime Development Fund.
• Public Procurement Preference: Ships under ₹200 crore must be procured from Indian shipyards as per the Make in India Order, 2017.
• Infrastructure Status: Ships have been reclassified as ‘infrastructure’, making them eligible for favorable financing.
• Haritha Nauka Guideline, Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP): Promotes green shipbuilding and domestic manufacturing.
• Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS): Drives greenfield clusters, yard expansions, and risk coverage.
• Other: Maritme Amritkal Vision 2047 for Shipping Sector

Bureau of Port Security

• Centre decided to constitute a dedicated Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) to oversee the security of vessels and port facilities.

About the Bureau of Port Security

• Legal Basis: Statutory body under Section 13 of the Merchant Shipping Act 2025, for ship security.
• Institutional Set-up: Headed by a Director General under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; modelled on the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
• Core Functions: Timely analysis, collection and exchange of security information, dedicated focus on cybersecurity to protect port Information Technology (IT) systems.
• Risk-Based Security: Implementation to be graded and risk-based instead of one-size-fits-all.
• Role of CISF: Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), earlier designated as Recognised Security Organisation (RSO) for seaport facilities, is also tasked to train private security agencies.
• Transition: For one year, the shipping safety regulator’s head will function as Director General of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to ensure continuity.

Significance of BoPS

• Trade Backbone: Maritime routes carry ~95% of India’s trade by volume and ~70% by value.
• Scale Exposure: India has 12 major ports and 200+ notified non-major ports.
• Throughput Risk: Major ports handled ~855 million tonnes in FY 2024–25; E.g., even a brief shutdown can create cascading congestion and demurrage.
• Energy Security: Petroleum-related cargo was ~254.5 million tonnes (~29.8% share) in FY 2024–25; any disruption can affect fuel availability and price stability.
• Efficiency Protection: Average turnaround time at major ports improved to ~49.5 hours in FY 2024–25, and stronger security helps protect these productivity gains from sabotage/cyber outages.

Tiger Census Formally Launched in the 28th NTCA Meeting

• The 28th Meeting of the NTCA and the 22nd Steering Committee Meeting of Project Elephant were recently held in the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, West Bengal.
• The sixth cycle of All India Tiger Estimation was formally launched with expanded coverage of Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves.

All India Tiger Estimation (AITE)

• Tiger Census: All India Tiger Estimation is the world’s largest wildlife monitoring exercise to assess the tiger population and distribution in India.
• Implementing Agency: It is conducted every four years by NTCA in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India and State Forest Departments.
• Scientific Baseline: AITE began with the first scientific national assessment in 2006, following recommendations of the Tiger Task Force.
• Expanded Coverage: The sixth All India Tiger Estimation (2026 cycle) includes systematic mapping of Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves for the first time.
• Methodology: AITE follows a double sampling approach using multi-phase ground surveys, habitat mapping, camera trapping, & intensive annual monitoring.
• Tech-Enabled: It integrates digital tools, AI, and remote sensing to improve accuracy and coverage.
• M-STrIPES: App used by forest guards for GPS-tagged, real-time field data entry.
• CaTRAT: AI-based software used to segregate tiger photographs from other wildlife images.
• ExtractCompare: Software used to ‘fingerprint’ tigers by analysing unique stripe patterns.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

• Statutory Body: NTCA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, established under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Apex Authority: It was created in 2005 on the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force as the apex authority for Project Tiger.
• Annual Reporting: An Annual Report of NTCA is mandated to be laid before Parliament along with the Audit Report.
• Leadership: Union Environment Minister serves as Chairperson, Minister of State as Vice-Chairperson, and Inspector General of Forests for Project Tiger as Member Secretary.
• Membership: Members include 3 Members of Parliament (2 Lok Sabha, 1 Rajya Sabha) and 8 experts from wildlife conservation and tribal welfare.

Key Functions

• Approves site-specific Tiger Conservation Plans prepared by states.
• Lays down standards for tourism regulation, habitat management, and anti-poaching operations.
• Conducts the All-India Tiger Estimation once every four years.
• Evaluates and disallows ecologically unsustainable activities within tiger reserves.
• Coordinates with Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and deploys Special Tiger Protection Force.

Project Elephant

• Centrally Sponsored: Project Elephant is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in 1992 for elephant conservation in India.
• Administrative Merger: Administration merged with Project Tiger in 2023 under the new ‘Project Tiger and Elephant Division’.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Apex Committee: The Steering Committee is chaired by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Project Head: An Inspector General of Forests oversees the programme and serves as its director.
• Technical Partner: Wildlife Institute of India (WII) serves as the primary technical and research partner through a dedicated Elephant Cell.
• Key Objectives: Protect wild elephants, habitats, and corridors; address Human–Elephant Conflict; ensure the welfare of domesticated elephants; and implement MIKE under CITES.