NGT Orders on Nainital’s Environmental Sustainability
Environmental Categorization: NGT has asked for the environmental categorization of Nainital as a development and prohibitive areas.
Lake Rehabilitation: The state government has been asked to treat the catchment area treatment plans regarding the preservation of lakes in the district.
Master Plan for Nainital: The master plan will focus on carrying capacity, hydrology, vegetation, sanitation, and present tourism trends.
India’s Role in Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)
Clean Economy Agreement: The Clean Economy agreement under IPEF means India agreed to speed up adopting clean energy technologies.
Fair Economy Agreement: The Fair Economy agreement further strengthens cross-border investigations while also accelerating asset recovery.
Supply Chain Resilience: India ratified the Supply Chain Resilience pillar in February 2024. It has actively been a part of IPEF initiatives.
Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH) Scheme
IDWH Continuation: The Union Cabinet has approved continuing IDWH for the 15th Finance Commission cycle.
Wildlife Conservation Area: Protected areas such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and conservation reserves also come under the scheme.
Species Recovery: Programmes for species that have critically endangered species; so far 22 species have been identified under the program.
Quad’s Focus on Global Good
Health Security Initiatives: Quad Cancer The Indo-Pacific region has witnessed a robust commitment to combating cervical cancer.
Technological Resilience: The Quad Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network is enhancing the resilience of Quad semiconductor supply chains.
Space-Based Climate Monitoring: India is leading the space-based monitoring in Mauritius of extreme weather and climate impact.
Nanozymes in Biomedical Advancements
Nanozyme Properties: Nanozymes are synthetic enzymes composed of nanomaterials that ensure the integrity of collagen and resistance against enzymatic degradation.
Advantages Over Biological Enzymes: Nanozymes are stable and the easiest to prepare at a lower cost compared to biological enzymes.
Applications in Medicine and Environment: They are largely applied in biosensing, drug delivery, water purification, and air purification
Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 and Legacy Waste Management
Low Reclamation Rate: Reclamation work has only been done on 16% of the land through the legacy waste management project of SBM 2.0.
Environmental Legacy Waste: Legacy waste in landfills gives out greenhouse gases and soil and groundwater pollution.
Scalable Waste Management Alternative Solution: Short-term solutions include sustainable waste management, along with full utilization of reclaimed land.
Key Concepts and Policies
Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF): A regional partnership on trade, clean energy, supply chains, and fair economies.
Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats: A centrally sponsored scheme aimed at conservation of India’s wildlife habitats, Project Tiger, and Project Elephant.
Nanozymes: artificial enzymes made from nanomaterials for applications in the biomedical fields and for environmental protection.
Carrying capacity: It means the maximum population that an area can carry under a given set of resource availability and environmental conditions.