The government’s crop insurance scheme Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has witnessed a rise in claims ratio from farmers across the country in fiscal 2018-19. The higher claims ratio means farmers have claimed a larger amount of the crop insurance portfolio under the scheme as against portfolio in the previous year. Most of the… Continue reading Crop insurance claims surge, delay in disbursals falls
Category: Factly: Environment
This category contains all Current Affairs Factly Articles for Prelims, related to the Environment. You can find all relevant Environment related updates on this page. This page is specifically useful for UPSC Prelims exam.
Himalayan glaciers are melting twice as fast since 2000: study
According to a new study published in Science Advances, that rate of ice loss in the Himalayan glaciers from 2000 to 2016 is double that from the period 1975 to 2000. The researchers constructed a 40-year record with 3D modelling, using declassified Cold War-era spy satellite images and more recent satellite photos According to the… Continue reading Himalayan glaciers are melting twice as fast since 2000: study
First “song” recorded from rare, lovelorn, right whale off Alaska
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) researchers have announced that they have documented vocalisations made by eastern North Pacific right whales (Eubalaena japonica) in the Bering Sea. It is the first confirmed “song” from any right whale population. Right whales are known make gunshot sounds. The newly-recorded noise sounded like a song because of the… Continue reading First “song” recorded from rare, lovelorn, right whale off Alaska
A water clinic for elephants opens on the banks of the Yamuna
India has opened its first specialised hydrotherapy treatment for elephants suffering from arthritis,joint pain and foot ailments. Hydrotherapy is a form of physical therapy that uses the therapeutic benefits of water to perform physical rehabilitation in animals. The treatment centre is situated on the banks of the Yamuna in Mathura near the Wildlife SOS’ Elephant… Continue reading A water clinic for elephants opens on the banks of the Yamuna
Heritage site status for Coringa mangroves likely
The Andhra Pradesh Government has constituted a seven-member committee for fulfilment of norms required for proposing the Godavari Mangroves(Mada forests) at Coringa as a World Heritage Site. The State government eyes heritage site tag for the mangroves so that it would get UNESCO funding to protect and preserve the wildlife sanctuary and attract international tourists.… Continue reading Heritage site status for Coringa mangroves likely
Explained: Solanum plastisexum; Australia’s new sex-changing tomato
Scientists have finally given a unique bush tomato species a name which is native to the Australia.They named the plant Solanum plastisexum. The species name ‘Solanum Plastisexum’ comes from the Greek root meaning ‘moldable’ or ‘changeble’ combined with the Latin word for sex. The bush tomato species was first discovered by botanists in the 1970s.For… Continue reading Explained: Solanum plastisexum; Australia’s new sex-changing tomato
Grey wolf from India killed in Bangladesh
The first Indian grey wolf which was seen in Bangladesh in the eight decades has been beaten to death by farmers after preying on their livestock. The Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) is a subspecies of grey wolf that ranges from Southwest Asia to the Indian Subcontinent. It is intermediate in size between the Tibetan… Continue reading Grey wolf from India killed in Bangladesh
Assam temple bids adieu to turtle hatchlings
Recently,the Ugratara Temple in Assam had organised a special darshan of 34 hatchlings of the rare black softshell turtle as these hatchlings will be reintroduced into the wild. The black softshell turtle(Nilssonia nigricans) is a species of freshwater turtle found in India (Assam) and Bangladesh. The black softshell turtle figures in the International Union for… Continue reading Assam temple bids adieu to turtle hatchlings
World’s Highest Operating Weather Stations Installed On Mount Everest
The National Geographic Society has announced the successful installation of the world’s highest operating weather stations on Mount Everest. The successful installation aims to break new ground in our monitoring and understanding of climate change as the stations will help continuously monitor the upper reaches of the atmosphere which is critical to tracking and predicting… Continue reading World’s Highest Operating Weather Stations Installed On Mount Everest
Bitcoin use causing huge CO2 emissions: Study
An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has revealed that Bitcoin system has a carbon footprint of between 22 and 22.9 megatonnes per year. This is comparable to the footprint of cities such as Hamburg, Vienna or Las Vegas. Bitcoin mining is very energy-intensive and the process has increased rapidly… Continue reading Bitcoin use causing huge CO2 emissions: Study
