May 12, 2026 - Current Affairs

Understanding India’s Changing Weather Patterns

Context

India is witnessing increasing weather extremes such as unseasonal rainfall, heatwaves, and humidity due to climate phenomena like Western Disturbances, El Niño, and La Niña, which significantly influence the country’s monsoon, agriculture, and public health.

What are Heat Waves?

A heat wave is a period of unusually high temperatures departing from the normal, and varies from region to region depending on the historical temperatures observed in the region.

The basic criteria for IMD to declare a heatwave are when a place's temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius (°C) in the plains, 37°C in coastal areas, and 30°C in the hills.

Saving Forex vs Sustaining Growth

Context

The appeal of Prime Minister Modi to reduce the consumption of imported goods has reignited the debate on whether India should reduce consumption to save forex or strengthen production and productivity to sustain long-term economic growth.

What are Foreign Exchange Reserves?

Foreign exchange reserves refer to foreign currency assets held by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

These reserves mainly consist of foreign currencies such as the US dollar, gold reserves, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), and reserve positions in the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

A Decentralised Solution For Waste Crisis

Context

The objectives of Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026 are environmentally sound but there are concerns regarding excessive centralisation, weak federal design, and unrealistic compliance expectations for States and local bodies.

Why Were the SWM Rules, 2026 Needed?

India’s Growing Waste Crisis: According to government estimates and discussions in policy reports:

India generates over 1.5 lakh tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, and a large proportion remains untreated or scientifically unmanaged.

Plastic waste and untreated sewage pollute rivers and coasts.