NGT says no effective steps taken to clean river Ganga
• Expressing displeasure over the steps taken to clean the river Ganga, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Uttarakhand government to take effective measures and take into account the views of the general public.
• A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel said that the information provided on paper was different from the ground reality.
• Noting that rigorous monitoring is required, the NGT further directed district Ganga committees to furnish reports every fortnight.
Cabinet relaxes NELP, pre-NELP pact rules
The Cabinet Committee has approved the policy framework for streamlining the operations of Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) for increased domestic production of hydrocarbon resources.
Golden jackal faces threat in its habitat
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Western Ghats fourth best tourist spot in Asia
Western Ghats supports the life of 7,402 species of flowering plants, 1,814 species of non-flowering plants, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species, 179 amphibian species, 6000 insects species and 290 freshwater fish species.
Fossil of first ‘giant dinosaur’ species found in Argentina
Giant dinosaurs lived on the earth much earlier than previously thought, according to a team of excavators in Argentina, who discovered the remains of a 200-million-year old species.
RS members can use all 22 scheduled languages
Rajya Sabha members can speak in any of the 22 scheduled languages from the monsoon session of Parliament beginning on July 18, with the Secretariat arranging simultaneous interpretation for five more languages: Dogri, Kashmiri, Konkani, Santhali and Sindhi.
China firms using ozone-harming gas’
An environmental pressure group claimed t Chinese factories are illegally using ozone-depleting CFCs which have recently seen a spike in emissions that has baffled scientists.
Fish samples in Chennai test positive for formalin
As many as 11 out of 30 samples of fish species purchased from Chinthadripet and Kasimedu, the two major fish markets in Chennai, on two different days, have tested positive for formalin, a cancer-inducing chemical used illegally to preserve fish.
Biodegradable plastic made from tree glue
• Scientists have found that a natural ‘tree glue’ which stiffens plant cells can be turned into a strong, biodegradable plastic.
• The natural glue called lignin holds cellulose fibres together.
Researchers from the University of Warwick in the UK genetically modified a bacteria called Rhodococcus jostii to turn lignin into useful chemicals.
Test-tube embryos may save northern white rhinos
Months after the death of Sudan, the world’s last male northern white rhino (NWR), scientists have grown embryos containing DNA of his kind, hoping to save the subspecies from extinction.