Pesticides Management Bill, 2025: Revised draft, but old gaps remain

The Centre released a fresh draft of The Pesticide Management Bill, 2025, aimed at regulating manufacture, import, sale and use of pesticides, DTE reported adding that the proposed law seeks to replace the Insecticides Act of 1968 and the Insecticides Rules but the draft introduces limited substantive changes and many of the concerns raised by experts and civil society groups over the earlier version, particularly around regulatory clarity, enforcement powers and accountability, remain largely unaddressed.

While the number of clauses in the bill has been reduced from 65 to 55, the DTE report said the language of the revised draft was weaker. 

The draft bill 2025 said it aims to “strive to minimise risk to human beings, animals, living organisms other than pests, and the environment”, instead of a stronger language of “minimise risk”, as suggested and demanded by organisations like Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India in the 2020 version of the draft, the outlet said. 

The bill, the Union government said, was a “farmer-centric legislation”, which incorporates provisions such as transparency and traceability to ensure better services to farmers, thereby “promoting ease of living”.

The revised bill, state governments have not been provided with regulatory powers to act on prohibition of pesticides. Under the bill, the state governments can issue a notification to prohibit the distribution, sale or use of a pesticide or a specified batch in such an area for a period not exceeding one year.

Centre allows private, state entities to lease forest land for afforestation without paying mandatory green compensation fee

The Centre allowed private and government entities to lease forest land for afforestation and timber projects without paying mandatory environmental compensation fees, marking a significant shift in India’s forest conservation policy, reported the HT. 

The Centre informed states in a letter that afforestation and silvicultural activities — the practice of controlling forest growth and quality — undertaken under approved state plans will now be classified as “forestry activities,” the outlet said. 

The newspaper pointed out that the new classification will exempt these projects from compensatory afforestation requirements and net present value (NPV) fees. These are significant financial mandates typically charged to developers to offset the loss of forest land and ecosystem services, the report said. 

The directive amends sub-paragraph 14 of paragraph 7.2 of the guidelines notified on November 29, 2023. Under those prior rules, commercial plantations of low rotation or medicinal plants on forest land were designated as “non-forestry activities.” As such, they required specific central government approval based on the merits of each case, as well as the full payment of environmental compensation fees.

Microsoft project in Greater Noida faces action over unauthorised groundwater extraction

The Uttar Pradesh government served a notice to a Microsoft project in Greater Noida over alleged unauthorised groundwater extraction, DTE reported.

Inspectors found 10 borewells operating without mandatory permits, officials told DTE. the outlet said the action comes as Noida and Greater Noida face severe groundwater stress and are classified as over-exploited

Officials carried out a surprise inspection at the Microsoft project site in Sector 145, Noida. During the inspection, they found 10 borewells installed at the premises. The department said no valid permits or NOCs were produced for these borewells at the time, the outlet explained. 

Centre launches BRICS India 2026 Logo, and website 

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar unveiled the logo, theme and website of India's BRICS Chairship 2026 on 13 January 2026 in New Delhi. The BRICS India 2026 Logo symbolises inclusivity, dialogue and shared growth, the government press release said, adding that the theme for India's BRICS Chairship this year is "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability". The BRICS India website brics2026.gov.in was also launched.

India’s metal exports face 22% price cut threat as world’s first carbon tax goes live today

The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has taken effect, placing a carbon levy on imports of emissions-intensive goods, which will result in Indian exports of steel, aluminium, cement and fertilisers face higher costs, potentially affecting competitiveness, DTE reported.

However, it has provisions for the bloc’s lawmakers to expand the list of items that will bear a levy, Indian Express reported. Think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) told the outlet that from January 1 2026, every shipment of Indian steel and aluminium entering the EU will carry a carbon cost and several Indian exporters may have to “cut prices by 15–22 per cent so EU importers can use that margin to pay the CBAM tax”.

Developing countries argue that uniform carbon standards ignore historical responsibility and economic capacity differences. India estimates the levy could add an average tax burden of around 25% on affected exports to the EU, DTE said. 

To tackle CBAM, Indian exporters have sought assistance from the government for compliance with CBAM, which will necessitate the use of arc furnaces, a cleaner method for iron production using steel scrap compared to blast furnaces that are commonly used in India, the IE report said. Exporters have also asked the government to seek a carve-out for MSMEs during the ongoing India-EU trade deal negotiations, which are expected to be concluded early this year. However, the EU has said that CBAM is not on the negotiating table as it is not a trade measure, IE explained. 

$12 trillion needed for climate mitigation needs in Hindu Kush Himalayas: Report

The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region requires around $12.065 trillion from 2020 to 2050 for climate mitigation and adaptation, according to a new report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), reported HT.

The report said India’s total climate finance need for the 2020 to 2050 period is around $2.685 trillion. The actual flow seen during the 2018 to 2021 period was $80.6 billion. For China, the total needs are around $8.46 trillion.

The outlet explained that globally climate finance flows reached approximately $1.3 trillion annually in 2021/2022, predominantly directed toward mitigation activities in developed and larger emerging economies. In contrast, the HKH region receives significantly lower shares, with multilateral and bilateral climate finance frequently failing to meet committed levels, the report has said.

The region is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions, facing growing threats from extreme weather events like glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), landslides, droughts, floods, forest fires, and intense monsoons. 

Proof of land acquisition not needed for green clearances

The HT reported that owners of non-coal mining projects will no longer have to show proof of land acquisition as a pre-requisite for environmental clearance, according to a recent change made by the Union environment ministry. The outlet said the move is aimed at fast-tracking the approval process for offshore and onshore oil exploration and production, oil and gas transportation pipelines passing through eco-sensitive areas, highway projects, and mining of minerals.

The article explained that until now, the ministry required proof of land acquisition. The report pointed out that in an office memorandum (OM) issued in 2014, it listed documents that could be offered as proof or in lieu of it: preliminary notification issued by the state government regarding acquisition of land as per the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013; and in case of acquisition by private companies, a credible document showing the intent of land owners to sell their land for the proposed project.

Top court stays its own verdict defining Aravali hills and ranges after large-scale protests 

The Supreme Court stayed its November 20 judgment upholding a government expert panel definition restricting the world’s oldest surviving mountain systems, the Aravalli, to hills sporting an elevation of 100 metres or above, and hill clusters, slopes and hillocks located within 500 metres of each other.

It directed that no fresh or renewed mining leases should be given without prior permission of the apex court, the Hindu reported. 

The move follows concerns that the definition was being misconstrued, DTE reported, adding that protests erupted in Rajasthan and Haryana over fears of mining and ecological damage. The court has ordered the formation of a high-powered, independent expert committee. Mining activity has been halted until the new assessment is completed, the outlet said.

To speed up leases, Centre tells states, UTs to hold just one forest survey before mining

Amid concerns that the Centre’s definition of the Aravalli hills will open the range up for mining, the Union environment ministry ordered states and Union territories to conduct just one survey of forests to be mined, saying “repetitive” surveys caused delays and “unnecessary expenditure”, reported the HT. 

The outlet said that in the letter, dated December 11, the ministry said separate surveys by multiple agencies as well as the bidder delayed the execution of mining leases. The news report said experts criticised the move and pointed out that each survey had separate objectives and unique parameters. A joint check, they argued, will not meet these standards, impinge on each department’s autonomy and will water down a crucial process baked into law to safeguard forests and green spaces.

Trump withdraws from key climate treaty, the US becomes the only country to do so 

The Trump administration has announced its intention to withdraw the US from the world’s overarching climate treaty, CNN reported. The move to leave the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), alongside 65 other international organisations, was announced via a White House memorandum that states these bodies “no longer serve American interests”, adds the news channel. 

The New York Times said the UNFCCC “counts all of the other nations of the world as members” and describes the move as cementing “US isolation from the rest of the world when it comes to fighting climate change” Associated Press pointed out that the US is exiting, including other climate-related bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Washington Post said this also means the withdrawal of US funding from these bodies.