Aug2026_ Environmental Affairs

The pilot forms part of Phase II of Tamil Nadu’s artificial-reef programme supported under PMMSY.

WII is an autonomous institution of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The museum is located in Aizawl.

The National Biodiversity Authority recommended the designation.

India achieved E10 in June 2022, five months before the November 2022 target.

India climbed 18 places from 112th in 2015 to 94th in 2026.

Each module weighs about one tonne.

Global temperatures reached 1.43°C above pre-industrial levels in 2025.

The museum was established in 2022 under Mizoram University.

Undernourishment fell initially but rose to 12% in 2023, with the trend classified as stagnating.

The Prime Minister launched E20 at 84 OMC retail outlets across 11 States and Union Territories.

Ethanol procurement was projected at over 1,200 crore litres for ESY 2025-26.

Official Phase-wise figures record Phase II as covering 43 fishing villages and 217 sites.

Per-capita emissions rose from 1.69 tonnes in 2015 to 2.21 tonnes in 2023.

The Government reduced GST on ethanol supplied for the EBP Programme to 5%.

The decision was taken on the recommendation of the National Biodiversity Authority.

The modules are designed to enhance biodiversity, restore fish habitats and strengthen coastal-community resilience.

Pilot ethanol-blending projects began in 2001.

SACON is the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History.

The roughly 30% figure concerns pure ethanol’s lower calorific value relative to petrol, not the direct real-world loss from E20.

The designation strengthens conservation and scientific documentation, especially in the North-eastern Region.

Chennai-based startup Tvasta, incubated at IIT Madras, developed the modules.

MoEFCC issued the notification.

It strengthens biodiversity conservation and documentation in the North-eastern Region.

Tvasta collaborated with the Visakhapatnam Regional Centre of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.

The official July 2026 FAQ reported an average blending level of 20% for November 2025-June 2026.

The CoE was inaugurated at WII-SACON in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on 10 July 2026.

India imports close to 88.5% of the crude oil it consumes, making domestic ethanol important for energy security.

Deployment began at Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram district, about two nautical miles offshore.

Electricity reached 92% of the world’s population, with about one-third powered by renewables.

The 2018 National Policy on Biofuels set an indicative target of 20% ethanol blending by 2030.

Its national-hub role includes research, policy support and capacity building for relevant stakeholders.

The remaining 24% of targets worsened or moved in the wrong direction.

The project is funded by the Union and Tamil Nadu governments in a 60:40 ratio.

It will preserve authenticated biological specimens from selected groups of flora and fauna.

The approved project cost for 417 units was Rs 129.27 crore.

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the Centre.

The modules use complex geometries with multiple crevices, folds and attachment surfaces.

The first edition of Current Status of Human-Wildlife Conflict in India: An Overview was released.

WII received autonomous-institution status under the Union Environment Ministry in April 1986.

India recorded an overall score of 68.3 out of 100.

India improved from 99th place in 2025 to 94th in 2026.

Voucher specimens are authenticated reference specimens used for scientific identification and documentation.

The National Human-Wildlife Conflict Portal was launched alongside the Centre.

Average blending was below 1.5% in 2013-14, compared with 20% in November 2025-June 2026.

The SDSN assessment found that none of the 17 SDGs was fully on course for achievement by 2030.

Coral bleaching and marine heat stress make habitat restoration and coastal resilience especially important.

The Department of Fisheries approved 417 artificial-reef units in Tamil Nadu.

The Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme was launched in 2003 for 5% ethanol-blended petrol in nine States and four UTs.

Stunting declined from 37.9% in 2015 to 35.5% in 2020.

Mizoram University is a Central University established by an Act of Parliament.

India rose to 94th place in 2026, its highest position so far.

PM Narendra Modi announced it during the seventh meeting of the National Board for Wildlife.

MoEFCC notified the Natural History Museum of Mizoram University, Aizawl, as a Designated Repository on 19 June 2026.

The project was led by Principal Scientist and Head Dr Joe K. Kizhakudan.

The announcement was made at the seventh NBWL meeting held at Gir, Gujarat, on 3 March 2025.

A repository maintains authenticated reference material for research, identification and conservation planning.

The Centre seeks to strengthen scientific and evidence-based management of human-wildlife conflict.

Progress was limited on 42.7% of targets.

Cereal yield was the only SDG 2 indicator reported as on track, reaching 3.6 tonnes per hectare in 2023.

WII is India’s nodal national agency for research and training in wildlife conservation.

The modules are manufactured without iron reinforcement and incorporate innovations to increase porosity and create substrates for reef fauna.

The Wildlife Institute of India was established at Dehradun in 1982.

The Ramanathapuram deployment was reported as the final leg of a project implemented across 213 artificial reef sites in Tamil Nadu.

A national portal can improve reporting, data sharing, coordination and dissemination of evidence-based practices.

Only 33.3% of assessed targets were achieved or on track.

Wasting increased from 16.9% in 2017 to 18.7% in 2020.

E20 ordinarily means a blend containing about 20% anhydrous ethanol and 80% petrol by volume.

Parliamentary replies state that the 20% target was first achieved in December 2025.

The museum has expertise in identifying and classifying different groups of plants, animals and fungi.

The CoE is designed as a national hub for research, innovation, policy support, capacity building and best-practice dissemination.

The designation made it India’s 21st Designated Repository.

From 1 November 2023 onward, an Ethanol Supply Year runs from 1 November to 31 October.

Aizawl lies within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot.

The modified Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana supports advanced biofuel projects and has been extended to 2028-29.