Environment Protection Act, 1986
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Current affairsWMO Warns of Very Strong El Niño Through Early 2027: India's Monsoon Risks, IOD Interaction, and Global Extreme Weather OutlookThe World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued an El Niño/La Niña Update (September 2026) warning of a near-100% probability that a very strong El Niño will persist through February 2027, with Niño 3.4 sea-surface temperature anomalies reaching +2.2–2.6°C above normal. The event — the most unequivocal El Niño forecast WMO has ever issued — raises risks of floods, drought, and extreme heat globally. A developing positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) may partially offset El Niño's typical weakening effect on India's monsoon. Current affairsIndia Hosts International Tiger Landscapes Workshop; IBCA Signs MoU with ADB for Nature-Positive Conservation FinancingThe International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) signed a landmark MoU with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the sidelines of the International Tiger Landscapes Workshop (September 2–3, 2026) in New Delhi — unlocking nature-positive blended finance for landscape-scale tiger conservation across six Asian tiger-range nations. Current affairsNSHIPOL Gets In-Principle Approval for ₹24,700-Crore Odisha Shipbuilding Cluster at Kendrapara: National Shipbuilding Mission and India's Maritime AmbitionsThe National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park Odisha Ltd (NSHIPOL) has received in-principle approval under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS) of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways for a ₹24,700-crore integrated shipbuilding cluster at Kendrapara, Odisha. The proposed cluster will be located on the northern bank of the Mahanadi near Paradip with an annual capacity of ~1.2 million gross tonnes. Current affairsGanga Floodplain Amendment 2026: Centre Removes 'Construction-Free Zone', Redefines Three-Zone Framework — NGT Issues NoticeThe Jal Shakti Ministry notified the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Second Amendment Order, 2026 (Gazette: August 10, 2026), redefining the Ganga floodplain into three flood-return-period zones and controversially removing the earlier 'construction-free zone' language from the 2016 Order. The National Green Tribunal has issued notices to the Centre, and environmentalists warn the change opens floodplain land to construction activity. Current affairsHindalco Commissions India's First Superfine PPT ATH Plant in Belagavi: Halogen-Free Flame Retardant and Atmanirbhar Specialty AluminaHindalco Industries (Aditya Birla Group) commissioned India's first greenfield Superfine Precipitated Aluminium Trihydrate (PPT ATH) manufacturing plant in Belagavi, Karnataka on August 27, 2026, with an initial annual capacity of 30,000 tonnes (expandable to 60,000 tonnes). PPT ATH is a halogen-free flame-retardant used in fire-safe cables, polymer insulators, and composites — previously entirely import-dependent. The plant runs entirely on renewable energy. Current affairsPradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY): India's ₹5,070 Crore Floating Solar Scheme with Battery StorageThe Union Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) on July 31, 2026, allocating ₹5,070 crore to deploy 5,000 MW of floating solar photovoltaic capacity with 10,000 MWh of battery storage on India's reservoirs, dams, and inland water bodies. Implemented by SECI under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the scheme is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by 10 million tonnes annually and generate 16,000–17,000 jobs. Current affairsThamirabarani River Declared a Legal Person: Madras High Court's Earth Jurisprudence RulingThe Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court (Justices G.R. Swaminathan and B. Pugalendhi) declared the Thamirabarani River a legal person on July 23, 2026, grounding the ruling in its status as a Hindu deity and banning all immersions and dumping in the river — the first such declaration in Tamil Nadu and a landmark development in India's Earth Jurisprudence. Current affairsOdisha Coastal Erosion 2026: NCCR Assessment — 28.3% of Coastline Eroding, 16 Villages Submerged in KendraparaA National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) assessment of Odisha's 564-km coastline (1990-2022) found 28.3% under active erosion — Jagatsinghpur (47.6%), Ganjam (45.7%), and Kendrapara (45.0%) are worst-affected districts. Sixteen villages in Kendrapara have been submerged. Intensifying cyclones, sea-level rise, and breakwater disruption of sediment drift are the primary drivers, threatening Olive Ridley turtle nesting grounds and coastal livelihoods. Current affairs12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting — New Delhi 2026: India's Chairship, Four Priority Areas, and the New Delhi Statement on EnvironmentIndia hosted the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on August 17–18, 2026, under its BRICS Chairship theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." Union Minister Bhupender Yadav presided. The ministerial session adopted the non-binding New Delhi Statement on Environment, covering four priority areas: sustainable lifestyles, afforestation and wildfire resilience, circular economy, and adaptation. The BRICS Summit is scheduled for September 12–13, 2026, in New Delhi. Current affairsMines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026: Centre Curtails State Mineral Taxes, Unlocks Critical Mineral PotentialThe Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha by Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy, proposes to restrict state governments from levying taxes, cess, or other charges on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands, remove the 50% cap on captive mine sales, allow multiple minerals in a single lease, and expand the National Mineral Exploration Trust's scope — aimed at bringing certainty and uniformity to India's critical minerals sector. Current affairsVanashakti v. Union of India (2026 INSC 761): Supreme Court Permanently Closes Door on Ex Post Facto Environmental ClearancesIn a landmark judgment on July 29, 2026 (2026 INSC 761), a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant quashed the Centre's 2021 Office Memorandum permitting post-facto (retrospective) environmental clearances, ruling that the prior Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) clearance regime under the EIA Notification, 2006 is mandatory and can be modified only through a statutory notification — not an administrative order. Current affairsIndia Crosses 300 GW Non-Fossil Fuel Installed Electricity Capacity: A Milestone in Clean Energy TransitionIndia's installed non-fossil fuel electricity generation capacity crossed 300 GW (300.50 GW) as of 31 July 2026, announced the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy on 10 August 2026. This represents 54% of total installed capacity of 552 GW and over 60% of India's Paris Agreement NDC target of 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 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