Forest Conservation Act, 1980
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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 affairsBuxa Tiger Reserve Gets First Tigress: Inter-Reserve Translocation from Valmiki Marks Wildlife Conservation MilestoneA Bengal tigress was formally released into Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal, on October 2, 2026 — the first resident tiger in the reserve since approximately 2012. The tigress was airlifted from Valmiki Tiger Reserve (Bihar) under the National Tiger Conservation Authority's inter-reserve translocation protocol, marking a landmark step in Project Tiger's effort to restore self-sustaining tiger populations in reserves that have lost their apex predator. Current affairsIndia Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS): Compliance Carbon Market Becomes Operational in 2026India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), notified in June 2023 under the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act 2022, moved into its operational phase in 2026 with the launch of the Indian Carbon Market Portal (March 21, 2026) and emission-intensity targets notified for seven industrial sectors. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) administers the scheme, which replaces the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) mechanism and links India's domestic carbon market to its Paris Agreement commitments. Current affairsGreen Energy Corridor Phase-III: Cabinet Approves ₹1.86 Lakh Crore Plan for 135 GW Renewable Evacuation and 50 GWh Battery StorageThe Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Phase-III on October 1, 2026, with a total investment of ₹1,86,405 crore. The project will build intra-state transmission systems to evacuate 135 GW of renewable energy and deploy 50 GWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across India by FY 2032-33, supporting India's 900 GW non-fossil fuel target by 2035. 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 affairsGreat Indian Bustard Conservation: Natural Breeding Breakthrough at Desert National Park, 11 Chicks Born in 2026In 2026, India's Great Indian Bustard (GIB) conservation programme at Desert National Park, Jaisalmer recorded a landmark milestone: 11 chicks were born, including 3 through natural mating — the first time captive-bred bustards have reproduced without artificial insemination. With only approximately 173 birds remaining globally (128 wild, 45 captive), this breakthrough under the IUCN-backed Project GIB marks a potential turning point for one of India's most endangered species. Current affairsIndia's First Soil Carbon Payments: Aadi Programme Disburses ₹2.9 Crore to 2,550 Farmers in Punjab and HaryanaIndia launched its first direct-benefit-transfer soil carbon payments on September 17, 2026 at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Under the Aadi farmer carbon programme, 2,550 smallholder farmers in Punjab and Haryana received more than ₹2.9 crore for adopting regenerative agriculture practices — direct seeded rice, reduced tillage, and crop residue management — between 2019 and 2022, marking a landmark convergence of climate finance and agricultural welfare. 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 affairsUNCCD COP17 Ulaanbaatar 2026: "Restoring Land. Restoring Hope." — India, Land Degradation Neutrality, and the Global Desertification CrisisThe 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) concluded in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (17–28 August 2026) under the theme "Restoring Land. Restoring Hope." The conference focused on converting land pledges into finance and action, amid warnings that 77% of Mongolia's land is already degraded and global dryland degradation threatens 2 billion people. Current affairsState of India's Environment 2026 Report: Seven Planetary Boundaries Breached, Extreme Weather on 99% of India's DaysThe Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth released the State of India's Environment (SOE) 2026 report at the Anil Agarwal Dialogue on 25 February 2026, warning that seven of nine planetary boundaries have been breached and that India experienced extreme weather events on 99% of days in 2025 — with ocean acidification newly crossing its threshold for the first time. Current affairsNine Anchor Species Could Help India Meet Its 30×30 Biodiversity and Climate Targets, Says Study in Conservation LettersA new study in Conservation Letters (Lamba et al., 2026, DOI: 10.1111/con4.70059) identifies nine wildlife species — including the tiger, sambar deer, and dhole — whose habitat protection could simultaneously conserve over 700 vertebrates and 1.1 gigatonnes of above-ground carbon per species, offering India a species-centred pathway to meet the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's 30×30 target while only 5% of Indian land is currently protected. 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.