Article 48A
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Current affairsWMO 2026 Water Report: 2025 Fourth Consecutive Year of Universal Glacier Mass Loss — 408 Gigatonnes, 1.1 mm Sea-Level RiseThe World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its 2026 State of Global Water Resources Report on September 22, 2026, revealing that 2025 was the fourth consecutive year in which every major glaciated region on Earth recorded a net loss of ice mass. Global glacier mass loss in 2025 totalled 408 (±132) gigatonnes — equivalent to 1.1 mm of sea-level rise — raising serious concerns about freshwater availability, river discharge, and accelerating climate feedback loops. Current affairsWestern Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area: 6th Draft Notification 2026, Kerala's Push to Exclude 131 Villages, and the Conservation-Livelihood DebateThe Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued its 6th draft notification on July 25, 2026, proposing to declare over 56,825 sq km of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). The public objection window closes September 24, 2026. Kerala has moved to exclude 131 villages and approximately 9,993 sq km, while the Centre insists no part — except the Palakkad Gap — should be excluded to maintain ecological continuity. Current affairsIndia's First Soil Carbon Payments: Aadi Programme Disburses ₹2.9 Crore to 2,550 Farmers in Punjab and HaryanaIndia launched its first direct-benefit-transfer soil carbon payments on September 17, 2026 at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Under the Aadi farmer carbon programme, 2,550 smallholder farmers in Punjab and Haryana received more than ₹2.9 crore for adopting regenerative agriculture practices — direct seeded rice, reduced tillage, and crop residue management — between 2019 and 2022, marking a landmark convergence of climate finance and agricultural welfare. Current affairsBadri Cattle Conservation: First OPU-IVF Calf Born at GBPUAT Pantnagar — Indigenous Breed MilestoneA healthy female calf of the indigenous Badri cattle breed was born on September 11, 2026 at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, through OPU-IVF (Ovum Pick-Up In Vitro Fertilisation) — a first for this rare Himalayan breed. The milestone, achieved jointly by GBPUAT and ICAR-NDRI Karnal, marks a significant advance in conservation biotechnology for India's indigenous mountain cattle. Current affairsIndia Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025: Delhi Tops Rankings, National EV Share Reaches 8.25%NITI Aayog and WRI India released the second edition of the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025, ranking Delhi first with a score of 84/100. India's national EV market penetration reached 8.25% in 2025–26, with 2.5 million new registrations — a 25% year-on-year rise — placing the country on a trajectory toward its EV30@30 target. Current affairsUK Recognises India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) Under UK CBAM — A Climate and Trade MilestoneThe United Kingdom's HM Treasury has officially recognised India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) as a qualifying carbon-pricing mechanism under its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), effective ahead of the UK CBAM's full launch on January 1, 2027. Indian exporters of steel and aluminium to the UK can now claim carbon-price relief, avoiding double taxation on emissions already priced domestically under CCTS — a major win for India's climate diplomacy and export competitiveness. Current affairsWorld Circular Economy Forum 2026: India Hosts Landmark 10th Edition in GandhinagarIndia is hosting the 10th World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF 2026) at Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre, Gandhinagar, Gujarat (September 15–18, 2026) — the first edition in South Asia. Organised by Finland's Sitra in partnership with India's Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the forum brings together 2,000+ stakeholders from 65+ countries under the theme "Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity." Current affairsGlobal Dryland Congress 2026 and Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D): Transforming Dryland AgricultureThe Global Dryland Congress 2026 concluded on September 12, 2026, at the NASC Complex, New Delhi, with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D). Co-organised by ICRISAT and ICAR on the UN Day for South-South Cooperation, the Congress brought together 800+ experts from global institutions and adopted a shared agenda to transform dryland agriculture through South-South collaboration. Current affairsBuellia maharajensis: New Lichen Species Discovered in Mathikettan Shola National Park, Kerala — Biodiversity Significance and UPSC AngleScientists from Maharaja's College (Ernakulam), KFRI, and CSIR-NBRI have discovered a new-to-science lichen species, Buellia maharajensis, from Mathikettan Shola National Park in Idukki district, Kerala. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Taiwania on September 8, 2026, this is the fourth new lichen species found in this single national park, underscoring the Western Ghats' extraordinary biodiversity value and the importance of protecting shola-grassland ecosystems. Current affairsNITI Aayog Launches PACT and ZET Marketplace at 5th e-FAST India Summit: Decarbonising India's Road Freight SectorNITI Aayog launched the Platform for Aggregating Clean Transport (PACT) and the Zero Emission Truck (ZET) Marketplace on 7 September 2026 at the 5th e-FAST (Electric Freight Accelerator for Sustainable Transport) India Summit in New Delhi. The twin platforms target India's road freight sector, where heavy commercial vehicles — just 3–4% of the total fleet — contribute over one-third of all transport-sector carbon emissions. Current affairsBSI Discovers Osbeckia ulotricha in Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve: New Plant Species from Western Ghats and India's Biodiversity SignificanceScientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) discovered a new woolly-haired flowering plant species, Osbeckia ulotricha, in the shola grasslands of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats (Kerala–Tamil Nadu boundary). Published in the international botanical journal Lilloa, the discovery adds to India's documented flora — set against the backdrop of the Western Ghats as one of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots. Current affairsChhattisgarh Tops Nation in Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) 3.0: Water Conservation Model and Its Governance LessonsChhattisgarh secured first position nationally in Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) 3.0 — completing 77,719 out of 79,775 registered water conservation structures under the Ministry of Jal Shakti's Catch the Rain campaign. Five Chhattisgarh districts feature among India's top-10 districts for water conservation, and the state's innovative "5% Model" (voluntary farm land allocation for groundwater recharge in Koriya district) has been highlighted as a national best practice.
In previous-year questions
- Article 48A of the Constitution of India, added by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976), directs the State to:UPSC · Current Affairs
- Article 48A of the Indian Constitution, which directs the State to protect and improve the environment, was inserted by which Constitutional Amendment?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Fundamental Duty under Article 51A of the Indian Constitution specifically requires citizens to "protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures"?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Fundamental Duty in the Indian Constitution specifically casts an obligation on every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Article of the Indian Constitution imposes a Directive Principle on the State to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Article of the Indian Constitution contains the Directive Principle on promotion of international peace and security and maintenance of just and honourable relations between nations — the constitutional basis for India's active multilateral engagement through forums like BRICS?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Constitutional Article directs the State to protect every monument or place of artistic or historic interest declared by Parliament to be of national importance — directly relevant to the conservation of UNESCO-listed heritage sites in India?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Directive Principle of State Policy (DPSP) under the Indian Constitution directs the State to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife — the constitutional foundation for protecting national parks like Mathikettan Shola?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Article 48A of the Indian Constitution, inserted by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976), directs the State to protect and improve the environment. Under which category of constitutional provisions does Article 48A fall?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Constitutional provision imposes a Fundamental Duty on every Indian citizen to protect and improve the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which of the following Fundamental Duties under the Indian Constitution is directly relevant to glacier and environmental protection?UPSC · Current Affairs