Environment Protection Act, 1986
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Current affairsFund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD): $21.6 Million for Nepal FloodsThe Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), operationalised under the UNFCCC framework, has provisionally set aside $21.6 million for Nepal following the devastating August 2026 floods — marking the fund's first-ever allocation for a specific disaster. The allocation covers less than 0.5% of Nepal's estimated $4.77 billion recovery needs, highlighting the vast gap in climate finance for vulnerable nations. Current affairsWWF Living Planet Report 2026: Global Wildlife Populations Down 73% Since 1970The WWF Living Planet Report 2026, released on October 7, reveals that monitored vertebrate wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73% between 1970 and 2022. Freshwater species suffered the steepest loss at 85%, while Latin America and the Caribbean recorded the worst regional decline at 95%. The report simultaneously documents conservation success stories — tigers, turtles, and tuna recovering — and calls for urgent global action to halt the biodiversity crisis before critical tipping points are crossed. Current affairsIndia's Critical Minerals Stockpiling Policy: Government to Announce Strategic Reserve Framework by November 2026India's Mines Secretary announced on 9 October 2026 that the government will roll out a critical minerals stockpiling policy within a month, covering 30+ minerals vital to defence, energy, pharma, and telecom sectors. The policy will specify release protocols, quantities, and eligible recipients, and will be complemented by four dedicated critical minerals processing parks (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha) and a ₹1,500 crore recycling boost — part of India's strategy to reduce import dependence and secure supply chains. Current affairsNobel Prize in Chemistry 2026: Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai Awarded for Chirality and Asymmetric AutocatalysisThe Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to French chemist Henri B. Kagan and Japanese chemist Kenso Soai "for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis." Their work solved a century-old mystery of molecular handedness (chirality), transforming pharmaceutical manufacturing and offering clues to the origin of life's chemical asymmetry. Current affairsUN Political Declaration on Sea-Level Rise 2026: UNGA Affirms Statehood Continuity and Frozen Maritime Zones for Island NationsOn September 24, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted by consensus the "Political Declaration on Sea-Level Rise" at a High-Level Plenary Meeting of its 81st session in New York — the first global political compact addressing the existential legal and territorial threats that rising seas pose to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and low-lying coastal nations. Current affairsSpecial Campaign 6.0: Government's Month-Long Swachhata and Pendency-Reduction Drive Launched on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2–31, 2026)Special Campaign 6.0 was launched on October 2, 2026 — Gandhi Jayanti — by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. The month-long campaign (October 2–31) focuses on Swachhata (cleanliness) in government offices, scientific disposal of e-waste, and time-bound disposal of pending references including MP correspondence, Parliamentary Assurances, and Public Grievances. Current affairsSteel Industry Safety Council (SISC): Government Establishes Apex Safety Body for India's Steel Sector with SISD Support DirectorateThe Ministry of Steel established the Steel Industry Safety Council (SISC) as an apex-level industry safety body in September 2026, chaired by Steel Secretary Sandeep Poundrik, to strengthen safety standards, accident prevention, and safety awareness across India's steel sector. A Steel Industry Safety Directorate (SISD) will provide technical support to the Council. Current affairsIndia's First Port-Based e-Methanol Plant at Kandla: ₹2,300 Crore DPA-APCL Joint Venture for Maritime Green FuelIndia laid the foundation stone for its first port-based e-methanol production plant at Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), Kandla, Gujarat, on September 26, 2026. The ₹2,300 crore joint venture between DPA and Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd (APCL) will produce 150 tonnes of green methanol per day — among the cheapest globally at ~$750/tonne — to decarbonise shipping on the Asia-Europe trade corridor and advance India's Net Zero 2070 commitments. Current affairsNTPC and EDF Power Solutions Form 50:50 Joint Venture for Pumped Storage and Low-Carbon Energy ProjectsNTPC Limited and EDF Power Solutions India signed a 50:50 joint venture agreement on September 25, 2026 to develop pumped storage hydropower, hydropower, and other low-carbon energy projects in India and neighbouring countries. The JV targets India's 100.8 GW pumped storage capacity goal by FY2035–36, against a current installed base of only ~7 GW — a gap of ~93 GW in nine years. Current affairsIndia's First Blue Bond: Sagarmala Finance Corporation to Raise ₹600 Crore for Maritime SectorSagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SFCL) — India's first dedicated maritime lender — announced the country's maiden blue bond issue on 28 September 2026, raising ₹600 crore through 10-year bonds rated AA+ by ICRA and CARE. The proceeds will fund greenfield port projects, maritime sector lending, and coastal road development under the Sagarmala Programme. Current affairsPremier Energies Commissions India's Largest Solar Cell Manufacturing Plant — 7GW TOPCon Facility at Naidupeta, Andhra PradeshPremier Energies commissioned a 7GW N-type TOPCon solar cell manufacturing plant at Naidupeta, Andhra Pradesh, in September 2026 — raising its total capacity to 10.6GW and making it India's largest solar cell manufacturer. The ₹3,293 crore facility, spanning 101 acres, produces approximately 88,000 cells per hour with an average efficiency of 25.8%, advancing India's National Solar Mission targets and domestic manufacturing push under PLI schemes. Current affairsMazagon Dock Shipbuilders Signs ₹15,000 Crore MoU for Greenfield Shipyard at Dugarajapatnam, Andhra PradeshMazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), a Navratna Defence PSU under the Ministry of Defence, signed an MoU on September 18–19, 2026 with NSHIP-AP (National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park, Andhra Pradesh) to develop a ₹15,000 crore greenfield shipyard at Dugarajapatnam — the largest shipbuilding investment in Andhra Pradesh's history. The project will have an annual capacity of 1.2 million gross tonnes, create 45,000 jobs, and forms part of a ₹38,767 crore integrated shipbuilding cluster aligned with Maritime India Vision 2030.
In previous-year questions
- The Supreme Court's July 2026 ruling in Vanashakti v. Union of India held that post-facto environmental clearances can be granted only through a statutory notification under which section of the Environment Protection Act, 1986 — NOT through an Office Memorandum?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019, which governs development along India's coastline, was issued under which parent legislation?UPSC · Current Affairs
- For the NSHIPOL Odisha shipbuilding cluster to receive final approval, it must secure environmental clearance under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and which other clearance due to its coastal location?UPSC · Current Affairs