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OPERATION WHITE STRIKE
Recently under Operation WHITE STRIKE, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) dismantled a transnational co***ne syndicate, seizing 349 kg of co***ne. This large-scale anti-narcotics effort targeted international traffickers exploiting India’s logistics networks. Executed through intelligence-driven enforcement, the operation aimed to disrupt organized supply chains and enforce India’s zero-tolerance stance on drug trafficking. After over six months of surveillance, coordinated actions in Kalamboli and Bhiwandi uncovered hidden consignments, with one arrest leading to further seizures. The syndicate relied on warehouses and sophisticated concealment methods, including hiding co***ne inside machinery and packaging it in multiple layers, underscoring the scale and complexity of the network.

ULSOOR LAKE
In recent times, lake conservation activists are objecting to the ongoing desilting of Ulsoor Lake, arguing that dredging the bed by only 0.6 meters is insufficient after being drained for the first time in over three decades. Located on the eastern side of Bangalore near M G Road, this 50-hectare (123.6-acre) artificial freshwater lake is one of the city's largest, featuring several islands. Believed to have been constructed in the 16th century during the reign of Kempe Gowda I, the lake was later expanded by the British and is currently managed jointly by the Madras Engineer Group and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Today, the historic waterbody faces severe urban pressures, including sewage pollution, encroachment, eutrophication, and periodic fish deaths caused by depleted oxygen levels.

INDIAN SPINY TAILED LIZARD
The Indian Spiny-tailed Lizard in the Thar Desert is also known as sanda or sandho. It is a herbivorous, burrow-dwelling reptile that is adapted to arid environments and inhabits sandy plains, rocky areas, and open grasslands. It is mainly found in the Thar Desert of northwestern India, with populations also in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and is locally extinct in Uttar Pradesh with declining numbers in Madhya Pradesh. The lizard feeds on plants and insects during breeding seasons, lives in colonies with protective burrows, and shows seasonal feeding and hibernation patterns. It contributes to seed dispersal and serves as prey for desert predators. Major threats include poaching, illegal wildlife trade, habitat loss, urbanisation, agriculture, and climate change. It is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, included in CITES Appendix II, and protected under Schedule II of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Sabarmati River
Recently, the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad has temporarily run dry due to Vasna barrage repairs and construction work. Originating in Rajasthan's Aravalli Hills, this 371-kilometer, monsoon-fed river flows southwest through Gujarat, passing through Ahmedabad before emptying into the Gulf of Khambhat. Its basin is bounded by the Aravallis, the Rann of Kutch, and the Gulf of Khambhat. Ecologically, the river spans three distinct zones: rocky uplands, middle alluvial plains, and a lower estuarine zone. It is fed by tributaries including the Sei on the right bank, and the Wakal, Harnav, Hathmati, and Watrak on the left. The river's flow is managed by several major infrastructure projects, including the Dharoi Dam, Vasna Barrage, multiple tributary dams, and the planned Kalpasar Project.

IBCA
Recently the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the website and logo for the 1st International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit 2026 in New Delhi. India will host the Summit on 1–2 June 2026, focusing on conserving seven major big cat species: tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, and pumas. Launched in 2023, IBCA is a treaty-based alliance of 95 countries dedicated to protecting these species. The Summit’s theme is “Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem.” Its logo features the seven big cats encircled by a lotus-inspired design representing the five elements, symbolizing unity, balance, and interconnected ecosystems. A key agenda is adopting the inaugural "Delhi Declaration" to create a shared framework for global big cat conservation and strengthen transboundary cooperation.

Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) Ocean Current System

Recent research suggests that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) which is a vast system of ocean currents crucial to regulating global climate, could slow by as much as 59% by 2100, with severe impacts on weather patterns as far away as the Indian subcontinent. The AMOC is part of the planet’s thermohaline circulation, often described as a massive “conveyor belt” that links the world’s oceans through continuous water exchange. In the Atlantic, this system carries warm, salty water northward in the upper layers and returns cold, less saline water southward at depth. Because of its central role in Earth’s climate system, the AMOC is considered a climate tipping point — a threshold beyond which it could irreversibly collapse into a weaker, sluggish state.

Kimberley Process
Recently India inaugurated the Kimberley Process Intersessional Meeting 2026 in Mumbai under its 2026 Chairmanship, bringing together governments, industry representatives, and civil society groups to discuss the future of responsible and sustainable diamond trade. The Kimberley Process is a tripartite global initiative aimed at preventing the trade in “conflict diamonds” used to finance armed conflicts and destabilise legitimate governments. Established under a UN resolution, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) became operational in 2003 and now includes 60 participants, collectively accounting for over 99% of global rough diamond trade. India, a founding participant since 2003, aims to use the chairmanship to strengthen transparency, promote data-driven monitoring, enhance consumer confidence in conflict-free diamonds, and reinforce the credibility, inclusiveness, and effectiveness of the Kimberley Process framework.

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