The Supreme Court invalidated retrospective environmental clearances, emphasizing that development cannot compromise environmental protection.
Retrospective environmental clearances
These are approvals granted to industrial or infrastructure projects after the commencement of operations or construction, bypassing the legal requirement of prior environmental assessment.
The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification of 2006, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, mandates prior EC before commencing any project that may affect the environment.
Recently, the Union Defence Minister emphasized that India’s fight against terrorism is now part of its National Defence Doctrine, reinforcing its commitment to eliminating hybrid and proxy threats.
Understanding Proxy Warfare: Indirect Conflict Through Third Parties
Proxy warfare involves state or non-state actors supporting armed groups or insurgencies to achieve strategic objectives without direct involvement.
India has consistently faced cross-border terrorism, with Pakistan-backed groups engaging in proxy conflicts.
In a historic medical breakthrough, scientists in the United States have, for the first time, successfully used a personalized CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy to treat a rare genetic disorder Carbamoyl Phosphate Synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency in an infant.
The Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2025 provides consensus-based analysis on acute food insecurity, acute malnutrition and population displacement in countries/territories identified as having food crises in 2024.
UN & Partner Recommendations
Evidence-driven, impact-focused interventions.
Invest in local food systems and integrated nutrition services to build long-term resilience.
Scale proven solutions, pool resources, and center affected communities in responses.
Union Minister for Environment addressed the 1st Sagarmatha Sambaad in Nepal, presenting a five-point global action plan to protect fragile mountain ecosystems, with a focus on the Himalayas.
Five-Point Global Action Plan Proposed by India
Enhanced Scientific Cooperation: Strengthening research collaboration, and monitoring cryospheric changes, hydrological cycles, and biodiversity.
Building Climate Resilience: Investing in climate adaptation measures, early warning systems for disasters like Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), and climate-resilient infrastructure in mountain areas.
Empowerering Mountain Communities: Ensuring that the welfare, needs and aspirations of local communities are at the heart of policy-making and their benefit from green livelihoods and sustainable tourism. Their traditional knowledge is an invaluable resource.
Providing Green Finance: Making available adequate and predictable climate finance as per the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement for mountain Nations to implement adaptation and mitigation strategies effectively.
The United States, long hailed as the epicentre of scientific innovation and research, is currently witnessing a systematic erosion of its knowledge economy.
Crisis in the the USA
Funding Freezes: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other US agencies have halted or cut funding for several international collaborative projects.
Institutional Uncertainty: Universities are facing layoffs and lab shutdowns; tenure-track positions are being reduced.
Migration of Scientists: Early-career researchers and even senior scientists are leaving the US for Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
