According to Energy think tank Ember’s report, in the first half of 2025, renewable energy overtook coal to become the largest source of electricity globally.
Key Findings of Report
- Among major economies, fossil fuel generation decreased in China and India, where clean generation outpaced demand growth.
- Emissions: Despite global electricity demand rising by 2.6%, emissions fell in China (-46 MtCO2) and India (-24 MtCO2) while increased in EU and US.
- Clean energy growth: Solar (+25%) and wind (+29%) set record growth, pushing clean energy share higher.
National e-Governance Division and National E-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) signed a MoU to integrate digital document execution for e-BGs.
- NeSL is India's first Information Utility (IU), registered with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) to serve as a repository of legal evidence for debts and claims.
About Electronic Bank Guarantees (e-BGs)
- It eliminates the physical documentation usually associated with issuance of BG.
- It reduces the turn-around time of the BG issuance and delivery to the beneficiaries.
- A bank guarantee is a financial instrument from a bank promising to pay a third party (the beneficiary) if their customer (the applicant) fails to fulfill a contractual obligation.
Russia’s lower house approves withdrawal from Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA) with the U.S.
- Previously, Russia in 2016 suspended implementation of the agreement, citing U.S. sanctions.
About PMDA
- The agreement signed in 2000 commits the U.S. and Russia to each irreversibly dispose of at least 34 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium.
- Plutonium (atomic number 94) is a radioactive material with a high melting point, and the heaviest naturally occurring element.
- Disposition goal: Convert plutonium into safer forms (MOX fuel, reactor irradiation).
India is set to scale up its flagship scheme PM-KUSUM and replicate its success across developing nations, through the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
About (PM-KUSUM)
- Ministry: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
- Launched in 2019 to provide energy and water security to farmers, de-dieselise farm sector and reduce environmental pollution.
- Target: To add Solar capacity of about 34,800 MW by March 2026.
- Components:
- A: Setting up of 10,000 MW solar capacity through small solar power plants.
- B: Installation of Stand-alone Solar Agriculture Pumps.
- C: Solarisation of Grid Connected Agriculture Pumps including Feeder Level Solarization.
Despite ambitious goals, Great Green Wall project faces significant challenges in Africa.
About Great Green Wall Initiative
- Launched in: 2007 by African Union
- Objective:
- To restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land; sequester 250 million tons of carbon and create 10 million green jobs by 2030.
- Aims to increase the amount of arable land in the Sahel Region, the region bordering Africa's Sahara Desert.
- It promises to be a compelling solution for climate change, drought, famine, conflict and migration.
Snow leopards have very low genetic diversity likely due to a persistently small population size throughout their evolutionary history rather than recent inbreeding.
- Genetic diversity is the total variety of inherited traits and different genes within a population or species,.
- It is crucial for a species' ability to adapt and survive environmental changes and stresses.
About Snow Leopards
- Geographical Spread: Flagship species in the mountainous regions of South and Central Asia, spanning 12 countries.
- In India, found in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand in Western Himalayas and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Himalayas.
- Conservation status:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
- Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Declared as: State animal of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.
- Characteristics: Do not roar,solitary animals, most active at dawn and dusk.
MeitY announced the transfer of technology under the Agrienics Programme.
About Agrienics Programme
- It is a national programme of MeitY involving research, development, deployment, demonstration, and commercialization of technologies in agriculture and environment domain.
- It is being implemented by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Kolkata, as the nodal agency.
