Draft Tar-balls Management Rules, 2026

3 April 2026National

The Environment Ministry released draft rules under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for lifecycle management of tar balls (oil-spill by-products), requiring State Pollution Control Board authorisation and district response teams.

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UNEP 'Limiting Overshoot' Report Says Breaching 1.5°C Warming Is Now Unavoidable

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GK ByteUNEP was established in 1972 following the Stockholm Conference and is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya — the only UN body headquartered in Africa | The 1.5°C and 'well below 2°C' targets come from the 2015 Paris Agreement adopted at COP21 | UNEP also publishes the Emissions Gap Report and the Adaptation Gap Report

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GK ByteThe Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was signed on 2 February 1971 at Ramsar, Iran; World Wetlands Day is 2 February | India has the largest number of Ramsar sites in Asia; MoEFCC is the nodal ministry | Germany: capital Berlin, currency Euro, a federal parliamentary republic headed by a Chancellor

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Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr. Jitendra Singh, Ministry of Earth Sciences, launched the 5th edition of Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar 2026 (SSSS v5.0) in New Delhi — a week-long ocean conservation campaign running 12–19 September 2026 and culminating on International Coastal Cleanup Day (17 September). He unveiled the campaign website, an ocean conservation pledge platform, campaign videos and the SAGAR PRAHARI mobile application, and launched the first-ever National Ocean Olympiad. Begun in 2022 as a 75-day clean-up across 75 beaches to mark Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the campaign has grown into a Jan Bhagidari movement of beach drives, human chains, cycling rallies and marathons.

GK ByteThe Ministry of Earth Sciences was established in 2006; its MoS (IC) is Dr. Jitendra Singh | International Coastal Cleanup Day is observed on 17 September; World Oceans Day on 8 June | The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, is an autonomous MoES institute

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