Environment, Biodiversity & Climate Change

The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife has recommended reinstating the Rhesus Macaque under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, to restore legal safeguards against cruelty, exploitation, and illegal trade, following requests from animal welfare organizations and deliberations on managing growing human-monkey conflicts across several states.

The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife has recommended approval for 12 key defence projects in Ladakh's protected wildlife sanctuaries, citing the need for high operational preparedness due to increasing assertiveness by China's People's Liberation Army along the Line of Actual Control, following lessons from the 2020 border conflicts.

The Himachal Pradesh government filed an affidavit with the Supreme Court on October 27, 2025, clarifying that logs seen floating in viral flood videos from Ravi and Beas rivers were uprooted trees from cloudbursts and landslides, not illegal felling. This addresses the court's September suo motu notice after August floods killed 320 people, amid rising fears of deforestation in the sensitive Himalayan belt, where climate change is making such events deadlier and more frequent.

On October 9, 2025, the Supreme Court of India issued an order pausing all work on Haryana's proposed jungle safari park in the Aravalli hills, following a petition highlighting potential ecological harm. This decision comes amid growing debates on balancing development projects like eco-tourism with the protection of fragile ecosystems, especially in the Aravallis, which serve as a vital green barrier for northern India.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued an office memorandum exempting mining projects for atomic, critical, and strategic minerals from mandatory public consultations under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. This step, reported by The Indian Express on September 11, 2025, responds to requests from the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), aiming to expedite clearances for minerals vital to national security, defence equipment, and atomic energy programs amid India's heavy import dependence. The move aligns with recent policy shifts to boost domestic production but has raised questions about environmental transparency and community involvement.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has decided to invite public objections and reconsider the proposed boundary alteration plan for Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, following Supreme Court criticism of the expedited approval process. This development, reported in The Indian Express on September 11, 2025, stems from concerns that the changes could allow over 50 closed mining sites to reopen near the reserve, potentially harming wildlife habitats and the Aravalli ecosystem. The court's August 6, 2025, hearing highlighted procedural flaws, prompting the ministry to issue a draft notification for transparency and compliance with legal requirements.

The Union government has approved the expansion of the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in West Bengal by 1,044 sq km, making it the second-largest tiger reserve in India after the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve.