Latest news with #CDRI
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
India has set an example in lion conservation: Bhupender Yadav
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday (August 10, 2025) said the rise in the Asiatic lion population in Gujarat reflected India's intimate relationship with nature and wildlife. 'India has given a commitment to the world to work for nature's conservation through the rehabilitation of wildlife,' Mr. Yadav said at a World Lion Day function in Timbdi village under the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary in Devbhumi Dwarka district of Gujarat. As per the census conducted in May this year, the estimated population of Asiatic lion has increased to 891 from 674 five years ago. 'The growth of India's lion population since 1889 (when the last Asiatic lions were seen) shows our intimate relationship with nature and wildlife,' Mr. Yadav said. He said the resolution made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year to boost Gujarat's lion population and develop the Barda Sanctuary as a new habitat had been fulfilled. Conservation efforts Mr. Yadav said climate change had brought challenges such as heavy rain and cyclones. To address these, Mr. Modi had initiated global efforts such as the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the International Solar Alliance. 'In addition, the International Big Cat Alliance has been established. Conservation work has been undertaken for five of the seven big cat species found in India. Asiatic lions are only found in India, and that too in Gir, and Gujarat gets 100% of the pride for their conservation,' he said. The Minister praised the unique bond between the pastoralist Maldhari community and lions as a model of coexistence. 'If one wants to see the example of wildlife conservation, they should visit Gir, observe the work of the State government, and witness the lifestyle of the Maldhari and other local communities,' he said. Mr. Yadav said the number of tiger reserves in India had risen to 58 from 47 during Mr. Modi's tenure, and they host 70% of the global tiger population. Snow leopard conservation efforts continue, with their population in India currently at 714. On cheetah reintroduction, he said, 'Bringing African cheetahs to India was a challenge, but we successfully rehabilitated them.' He also mentioned ongoing projects such as Project Lion, Project Tiger, Project Elephant, Project Dolphin, and Project Great Indian Bustard, which are reinforcing India's conservation leadership. Mr. Yadav said two more species of big cats — jaguar and puma — are found in Latin America, and quoted Mr. Modi's call for global cooperation in conserving all seven big cat species found across 97 countries, especially in Africa and Asia, through knowledge sharing, artificial intelligence, and technology. CM launches projects On the occasion, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched 11 eco-development projects worth ₹189 crore, including a new safari park, interpretation centre, and breeding centre at Barda. Expressing joy that after a gap of 143 years, lions had naturally begun re-inhabiting the Barda hills, he said Mr. Modi had announced all necessary support facilities for lion conservation in the area. 'Due to the PM's vision and the proactive work of the forest department, the successful conservation story of Gir's lions has gained global recognition. To ensure that the glory of our Vanraj (Lion King) remains intact and continues to grow, 'Project Lion' was launched, covering lion habitat and population management, wildlife health, human-animal conflict mitigation, cooperation with local communities, tourism development, scientific research and training, eco-development, and biodiversity conservation,' he said.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
HP & U'khand again, lessons anyone?
Last week, the Supreme Court observed that if the deteriorating ecological balance in Himachal Pradesh goes unchecked, the state could 'vanish into thin air'. The same holds true for Uttarakhand, as the destruction caused by flash floods in Harshil Valley shows. The devastation underscores - yet again - that India's approach to development for the Himalayan states is backfiring. Instead of persisting with this destructive path, the approach must be rooted in science and ecological realities of the it will require making hard choices. But looking at the scale of destruction, the choice is clear. Steep slopes, young geo-formations and diverse microclimates make the region vulnerable to climate-induced changes. The region's average temperature is rising faster than the global average, resulting in more cloudbursts, excessive rainfall and flash floods. Deforestation and unchecked rise in human and vehicular traffic only add to this destructive science into policymaking means moving away from business-as-usual approaches that divorce development from ecological well-being. The region's ecological specificities are well known. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem is part of 2008 National Action Plan on Climate Change . Research institutions and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) must be integrated into the policymaking process. Creating an interface between science, policy, people and business will provide the foundation for both economically and ecologically sustainable development . Failing to do so will leave Himalayan states trapped in a vicious cycle of extreme weather events, and loss of lives and assets, eliciting more sighs and handwringing.
The Hindu
30-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Ethiraj College confers awards on four women biotech professionals
The Ethiraj College for Women on Wednesday honoured four women scientists and innovators in the field of biotechnology at its Fifth Annual Women in Biotech Conclave and Awards. Dr. Radha Rangarajan, Director, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow, received the Excellence in Leadership of Women in Science 2025 award while Dr. Sharmila Bapat, Director, National Centre for Cell Science, Pune was conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award 2025. Similarly, Dr. Albeena Nisar, Senior Lead, R&D and CMC, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Navi Mumbai, was awarded the Woman Scientist of the Year 2025 while Dr. Jyotirmayee Dash, Founder, Teralumen Solutions, Chennai, received the Golden Jubilee Biotech Park's Annual Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2025. V.M. Muralidharan, chairman, Ethiraj College Trust, and P.M. Murali, chairman, Golden Jubilee Biotech Park for Women Society, spoke.
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Science in action at CSIR labs for school students
Lucknow: Hundreds of students from schools across Lucknow spent an entire day with scientists at the city-based laboratories of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) during the "One Day as a Scientist" event on Wednesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now From learning about drug discovery to engaging in interactive games and toxicity tests, students experienced what it is like to be a scientist. They were taught by scientists at CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), and Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR). At CDRI, students attended a motivational lecture on "Why We Study Science" to help them understand the relevance of science in their daily lives and how it influences everything— from the technology they use to the environment they live in. Highlighting the impact of scientific thinking on progress and innovation, the lecture encouraged students to view science not just as a subject in school, but as a powerful tool for shaping a better future. "We got hands-on experience of scientific experimentation. It was great to interact with scientists and see them conducting research on rats," said a class VI student Aishwarya Singh. "This was the first time my classmate and I got exposure to such research infrastructure, experienced cutting-edge scientific facilities, and learned about inspiring connections with real-world science," the student added. Similar activities, like making art from dehydrated flowers and visiting the herbarium and labs, were held at NBRI. At IITR, students learned about environmental toxicity studies on aquatic and terrestrial organisms, as well as analytical and clinical chemistry testing.
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Knowledge Nugget: Why Global Biofuels Alliance and CDRI Matter for UPSC Prep
Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up on your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today on India's led alliance and initiatives. (Relevance: India-led initiatives are important from the exam perspective. In the UPSC Prelims of 2016, a question was asked on the International Solar Alliance (do check it in the post-read question). Also, these India-led global initiatives showcase India's stature on the international platform, which can be used in your Mains answer writing across the General Studies papers.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Namibia on Wednesday (9th July), the last stop of the 5-nation tour (Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, and Brazil) that started on July 2. This was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the resource-rich southern African nation in almost three decades. PM Modi and Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah meeting ended with the announcements on launching the Digital Payment System in Namibia later this year, setting up an Entrepreneurship Development Center in Namibia, and the entry of Namibia to the global initiatives led by India, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Global Bio Fuel Alliance. In today's knowledge nugget, let's learn about these two India-led initiatives – CDRI and Global Bio Fuel Alliance. 1. On the sidelines of the G20 summit hosted by India in 2023, the Global Bio Fuel Alliance was launched. The alliance is aimed at facilitating international cooperation and intensifying the use of sustainable biofuels, along with facilitating global biofuels trade and technical support for national biofuel programmes. 2. The GBA, the effort for which was spearheaded by India, the United States, and Brazil, was launched with nine initiating members–India, the US, Brazil, Argentina, Bangladesh, Italy, Mauritius, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates–while Canada and Singapore are observer countries. According to the official site of the Global Bio Fuel Alliance, as of July 2025, there are 29 countries and 14 international organisations that are members of this alliance. 3. Biofuels refer to renewable fuels derived from biomass, from plants or agricultural, animal, domestic, and industrial biowaste. Biofuels are significantly cleaner than conventional fossil fuels. The two most common types of biofuels in use today are ethanol and biodiesel, both of which represent the first generation of biofuel technology. 4. A whitepaper was published by the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) in February 2025 on the global non-grain-based (NGB) biofuels market, which is creating an attractive opportunity for the Indian NGB biofuels sector. 'NGB biofuels are defined based on feedstock, and refer to biofuels produced from lignocellulosic feedstocks (e.g., agricultural and forestry residues), industrial wastes and residue streams, and other feedstocks which do not compete with food crops for land use,' mentions the paper. 5. According to the International Energy Agency's Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE), sustainable biofuels play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation sector, along with electric vehicles, more efficient engines, changes in transport modes and other clean fuels such as hydrogen. 6. The CDRI is an international organisation launched by PM Modi at the U.N. Climate Action Summit in September 2019. It is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development. 7. In simple words, CDRI is an attempt to bring countries together to share and learn from the experiences of one another to protect their key infrastructure — highways, railways, power stations, communication lines, water channels, even housing — against disasters. It promotes the resilience of infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks, thereby ensuring sustainable development. 8. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the mission is to drive US$10 trillion of new and existing infrastructure investments and services to be resilient to natural hazards and climate change, and overall well-being for more than 3 billion people worldwide by 2050. 9. The ten major initiatives as outlined by the CDRI focus on: Small Island Developing States; enhancing data and early warning systems; urban resilience; finance and governance, critical and social infrastructure; mountain regions; Africa; major events; research; and capacity building. 10. The Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) was launched by PM Modi under CDRI during the COP26 held in 2021. Climate change and extreme weather events such as sea level rise, coastal flooding and erosion, tsunamis, and storm surges have made the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) highly prone to disasters. IRIS aims to equip SIDS with the knowledge, tools, and partnerships needed to achieve disaster and climate-resilient infrastructure. These are some of the important India-led initiatives that have been at the forefront. 1. International Solar Alliance (ISA): It was established following the Paris Declaration at the UN Climate Change Conference on November 30, 2015. It was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President Francois Hollande. It aimed at uniting efforts to combat climate change by implementing solar energy solutions. Its mission is to unlock $1 trillion in solar investments by 2030 while reducing technology and financing costs. As of July 2025, 106 countries are members of the ISA. 2. International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA): Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the IBCA in April 2023 during the 50th year celebrations of Project Tiger. It is an India-led initiative to focus on global conservation of seven big cats —the tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar, and cheetah. On June 16, the first Assembly of the IBCA was held in New Delhi. It aims 'to facilitate collaboration and synergy among stakeholders, consolidating successful conservation practices and expertise and replicating them in range countries.' 3. Green Credits Initiative: It was launched by PM Modi on the sidelines of COP 28 as an initiative within the government's Lifestyle for Environment or LIFE movement. It focuses on generating Green Credits through the plantation on degraded wasteland. It encourages taking voluntary environment-positive actions that result in the issuance of green credits. It is independent of the carbon credit under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme 2023. Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2016) 1. The International Solar Alliance was launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2015. 2. The Alliance includes all the member countries of the United Nations. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (Source: Modi, President Ndaitwah hold talks: Namibia to roll out UPI, World Biofuel Day – All you need to know for UPSC Prelims and Mains, Why is Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) important for UPSC exam?, UPSC Special- How India's biofuel potential complements its leadership in sustainable aviation fuel) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
