A 90-million-year-old fossil of Alnashetri cerropoliciensis found in Patagonia clarifies the evolution of alvarezsaurs. It shows they were widespread across Pangaea before continental drift and reveals that body miniaturization occurred before the development of specialized insect-eating adaptations.
Click to View MoreThe 2025 climate assessment shows India’s land has warmed by 0.9°C, with sharper extremes. Scientists report a “Wet Desert” trend in the northwest, drying Gangetic plains, rising warm nights, marine heatwaves, and stronger Arabian Sea cyclones. They warn about compound events and urge region-specific adaptation measures.
Click to View MoreScientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration revised El Niño detection, adopting a rolling baseline to adjust for ocean warming and avoid false positives. The shift improves monsoon forecasting for India, aiding agriculture and inflation management, after shocks like 2023–24 heatwaves and sugar shortages.
Click to View MoreThe World Bank report Women, Business and the Law 2026 reveals a major implementation gap in gender justice. Though legal frameworks score 67/100 globally, enforcement lags at 53/100. Barriers like childcare gaps and credit access limit progress, costing potential GDP gains, including for India.
Click to View MoreA new study finds rapid freshening in the Southern Indian Ocean due to warming-driven wind shifts moving water from the Indo-Pacific Freshwater Pool. This creates stratification that traps heat, blocks nutrients, harms fisheries, may weaken AMOC, and heighten cyclones and marine heatwaves.
Click to View MoreThe Economic Survey 2025–26 cautions that unchecked rural–urban migration strains cities and weakens villages through a care drain. Existing schemes fall short. It calls for holistic rural revival by boosting non-farm jobs, local governance, and rural–urban integration to achieve sustainable, inclusive growth.
Click to View MoreThe Supreme Court ruled that menstrual health and hygiene in schools is part of the right to life and dignity under Article 21. It linked poor MHM to inequality and school dropouts, directing schools to provide free sanitary pads, proper toilets, and awareness education to remove stigma.
Click to View MoreUGC’s 2026 equity regulations aim to curb campus discrimination by mandating Equal Opportunity Centres and strict accountability, extending protection to OBCs. However, narrow victim definitions, removed safeguards, and imbalanced grievance bodies have triggered opposition and a Supreme Court challenge over fairness and misuse risks.
Click to View MoreHydropower expansion has shrunk the Balkans’ last wild rivers by 2,450 km, endangering biodiversity and livelihoods. While successes like Albania’s Vjosa park offer hope, the crisis highlights environment–development tensions and offers lessons for India’s Himalayan hydropower and river conservation policies.
Click to View MoreThe debate on lowering age of consent under the POCSO Act has intensified after Supreme Court observations. Strict application criminalises consensual adolescent relationships, especially among 16–18-year-olds. While reform advocates seek judicial discretion or close-in-age exemptions, critics fear greater exploitation. A balanced path needs legal nuance and comprehensive sexuality education.
Click to View MoreGlobal glacier loss may peak during 2041–55, with up to 4,000 glaciers disappearing yearly. This threatens water security worldwide, especially in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. For India, higher GLOF risks and seasonal rivers loom. Limiting warming to 1.5°C remains crucial to save nearly half of global glaciers.
Click to View MoreDespite child marriage declining from 47.4% to 23.3% in 15 years, India still risks missing the 2030 elimination target under United Nations SDG 5.3. Poverty, patriarchy, and weak enforcement of the PCMA sustain the gap. Ending it needs strict law enforcement, community mobilisation, and empowering girls through education and livelihoods.
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