About Vizellopsidites miocenicus:

• It is a new species of ancient, microscopic fungus.
• It was found perfectly preserved on a fossilised plant leaf from up to 12 million years ago in the foothills of the western Himalayas in the Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh.
• Because the delicate fungus was practically invisible to the naked eye, the researchers used a chemical process called maceration.
  • It involves bathing the fossil in a series of gentle acids to dissolve the surrounding rock and isolate the leaf's transparent, waxy outer layer.
  • When they placed this surviving leaf fragment under a high-powered light microscope, the intricate, dark-brown structures of the ancient fungus were revealed.
• The specific name, miocenicus, directly references the Late Miocene epoch, the geological time period roughly 8 to 12 million years ago when the fungus lived and fossilised.
• It features larger cells and a much looser, net-like arrangement of alternating side branches, which grew in dense mats that primarily branched at the tips.
• It features distinct, circular fruiting bodies, the structures that once released spores, nestled beneath a dark, protective web of cells.
• By comparing the fossil to its modern-day fungal relatives, which grow only in very warm, highly humid tropical environments, the scientists deduced what this region once looked like.
• The presence of V. miocenicus serves as direct evidence that millions of years ago, the terrain of the Himachal Himalaya was not the cooler, mountainous environment we know today, but rather a dense, sweltering, and vibrant tropical forest.

About Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Location: It is located in Wayanad, Kerala, in the southern trenches of the Western Ghats.
• It is also known as Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It forms an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• It is bordered by the protected areas of Nagarhole and Bandipur in Karnataka on the northeastern side and Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu on the southeastern side.
• Rivers: Rivers like the Kabini, Cherupuzha, and Bavali flow through the sanctuary.
• Tribes: Tribes living in these forests include some scheduled adivasis, such as Paniyas, Kattunaikkans, Kurumas, Ooralis, Adiyans, and Kurichiyas.
• Vegetation: It is a mosaic of the Western Ghats’ significant vegetation types, ranging from moist deciduous to dry deciduous and semi-evergreen patches.
• Flora: About one-third of the sanctuary is covered by plantations of teak, rosewood, eucalyptus, and silver oak.
• Fauna: It boasts one of the largest populations of Asian elephants and tigers, which are considered its flagship species. 
  • Other mammals include leopards, gaur (Indian bison), sambar deer, wild boars, sloth bears, and jungle cats.

About Cool Leaders Award:

• It is a global recognition initiative launched by the UNEP Cool Coalition.
• It recognizes outstanding leadership in advancing sustainable cooling and protecting people from extreme heat.
• The first Cool Leaders are:
  • Singapore: For leadership in passive cooling and heat resilience.
  • United Arab Emirates: For leadership in district cooling and advancing cooling in global climate and development policy.
  • Dong Mingzhu: Chairwoman of Gree Electric Appliances, for spearheading of the development ultra-efficient, low-carbon cooling technologies, including the Zero Carbon Source air-conditioning system.

What is UNEP Cool Coalition?

• It is a global platform driving system-level change on sustainable cooling.
• It was launched in 2019 as a flagship initiative of the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit.
• It brings together over 250 actors—including governments, businesses, cities, and financial institutions—to deliver efficient, climate-friendly cooling solutions aligned with the Paris Agreement, the Kigali Amendment, and the 2030 Agenda.

About Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation:

• It is a multilateral platform established by India to enhance cooperation with the Pacific Island countries.
• It was established in 2014 during the Prime Minister of India’s visit to Fiji.
• Member countries: It includes 14 of the island countries – Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
• In line with the “Act East Policy”, through FIPIC, India has primarily focused its efforts on the Pacific Islands.
• Economic Cooperation: At this moment, total annual trade of about $300 million between the Indian and Pacific Island countries, whereas exports are around $200 million and imports are around $100 million.
• FIPIC Summits held: Since 2014 three FIPIC summits have been held, 1st 2014 (Suva, Fiji), 2nd 2015 (Jaipur, India), 3rd 2023 (Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea).

About United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime:

• It is the first comprehensive, legally binding global treaty adopted by consensus by 193 UN member states.
• It was adopted by member states of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in December 2024 to strengthen global cooperation in combating cybercrime.
• It is the first universal legally binding instrument to strengthen collective defences against cybercrime. 
• Purpose: To promote international cooperation, strengthen measures to prevent and combat cybercrime, and support capacity-building, particularly for developing countries.
• It entered into force last year after securing the required threshold of 40 member-state signatures.
• By the end of 2025, 93 countries had signed the convention.
• India has signed this treaty.
• The convention was developed by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Key Provisions of United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime:

• It sets legal standards for addressing offenses such as illegal access, cyber fraud, and online child exploitation, while ensuring human rights and data privacy.
• It provides States with a range of measures to be undertaken to prevent and combat cybercrime.
• It facilitates the sharing of electronic evidence across borders and establishes a 24/7 cooperation network among States.
• It recognises the non-consensual dissemination of intimate images as an offence.
• It covers crimes such as hacking, ransomware, online financial fraud, illegal interception, money laundering,
• It applies not only to cyber offences but also to the collection and sharing of electronic evidence in serious crimes.

About OneSCD:

• It is a global partnership to advance equity and transform Sickle Cell Care.
• It is a multilateral coordination mechanism designed to strengthen and support existing country led Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) programs and help scale proven approaches to care.
• Hosted By: It was hosted the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and co-organized with UNICEF, WHO, Africa CDC, the World Coalition on Sickle Cell Disease, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• It will bring together government leaders, UN agencies, health experts, civil society, and people with lived experience.
• The partnership focuses on strengthening international cooperation and improving access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and continuing care for people affected by Sickle Cell Disease.

Key Facts about Sickle Cell Disease

• It is a group of inherited blood cell disorders that affect hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells (RBCs) that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body. 
• The most common and severe type of SCD is sickle cell anemia.
• How Does it Affect Blood Flow?
  • Normally, RBCs are disc-shaped and flexible enough to move easily through the blood vessels.
  • People with SCD have atypical hemoglobin molecules called hemoglobin S, which can distort RBCs into a sickle, or crescent, shape.
  • When RBCs sickle, they do not bend or move easily and can block blood flow to the rest of the body.
  • The sickle-shaped cells can also stick to vessel walls, causing a blockage that slows or stops the flow of blood.  
• Causes: The cause of SCD is a defective gene, called a sickle cell gene.
• Treatments: A bone marrow transplant (stem cell transplant) can cure SCD.
  • Gene therapy is also being explored as another potential cure.

About Gulbarga Tur Dal:

• Gulbarga Tur Dal, associated with the Kalaburagi region of Karnataka.
• It has received the Geographical Indication (GI) registration in 2019.
• The product is recognised for its distinctive taste and quality and forms an important part of the agricultural economy of the region.

Key Facts about Tur Dal:

• It is one of India’s most important pulse crops and a major source of dietary protein.
• It is a legume crop and protein-rich food which is primarily consumed as dal in India.
• It is predominantly a crop of tropical areas mainly cultivated in semi-arid regions of India.
• Required Climatic conditions:
  • Rain: It requires 600-650mm of annual rainfall along with moist conditions for the initial eight weeks and dry conditions during its flowering and pod development phase.
  • Temperature: It can be grown with a temperature ranging from 26 to 30 degree Celsius in the rainy season and 17 to 22 degree Celsius in the post rainy (November to March) season.
  • Soil: It can be grown on all types of soil, however, sandy loam or loam soil is most suitable for its cultivation.
  • It is very sensitive to low radiation at pod development, therefore flowering during the monsoon and cloudy weather, leads to poor pod formation.
  • It is commonly intercropped with a wide range of crops.
• Diseases: The important diseases of Pigeon pea are Wilt, Sterility mosaic disease, Phytophthora blight, Alternaria blight and Powdery mildew etc.
• Health benefits: It has low glycaemic index and is rich in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, vitamin A, calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium
• Major Pigeon pea producing states: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand.

About E-Methanol:

• It is a low-carbon fuel produced with renewable energy and recycled CO₂.
• E-methanol production typically involves three key steps:
  • Green hydrogen generation:Renewable energy-powered water electrolysis creates the hydrogen feedstock. (Here water (H₂O) molecules are split into oxygen and hydrogen.)
  • CO2 capture:Carbon dioxide is captured from industrial flue gases (e.g. steel mills or cement plants) or directly from the air, reducing overall emissions at the source.
  • Methanol synthesis:The hydrogen and CO2 are combined in a catalytic reactor under pressure, yielding methanol with minimal byproducts.
• Applications: It can be used in shipping, heavy industry, and chemical manufacturing.
• Benefits of E-methanol
  • Lower Carbon Emissions: It can significantly reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions when produced using renewable electricity and captured carbon dioxide.
  • Reduced Sulfur Emissions:Compared to many conventional fuels, e-methanol produces little to no sulfur emissions during combustion.
  • Lower Particulate Matter:Cleaner combustion characteristics can reduce particulate emissions and improve environmental performance.
  • Renewable Production Cycle:The use of green hydrogen and renewable energy creates a more sustainable production pathway.

Why in news?

Recently, the Karnataka Legislature unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the K. Kasturirangan Committee report on the Western Ghats in its current form.

This came in response to the seventh draft, published in July 2026, by the Ministry of Environment, Ecology and Climate Change, proposing to declare parts of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). The draft gave states a 60-day window to file objections.

This marks the seventh time Karnataka has rejected the draft since it was first published in 2014.

Successive governments have acknowledged the ecological importance of the Western Ghats but have repeatedly flagged the ESA's impact on lives and livelihoods. Of the six Western Ghats states, Karnataka has the largest area proposed for ESA notification, spread across 10 districts.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Background: Kasturirangan Report
• How Much Area Is Involved, State-Wise?
• Key Recommendations of the Report
• Kasturirangan vs Gadgil: The Key Difference

Background: Kasturirangan Report

• Space scientist K. Kasturirangan chaired the High Level Working Group (HLWG), tasked with reviewing the earlier Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) report by Prof. Madhav Gadgil.
  • WGEEP (Gadgil Committee): Submitted its report in 2011.
• It was also tasked to recommend fresh protective measures for the Western Ghats — recognised by UNESCO as one of the world's ecological hotspots.
• Set up in 2012, HLWG submitted recommendations in 2013. Of the 1.64 lakh sq. km Western Ghats area, the Kasturirangan Committee recommended declaring 59,940 sq. km — covering 4,156 villages across six states — as ESA.

How Much Area Is Involved, State-Wise?

• The committee identified natural landscape covering about 41% of the Western Ghats, of which 37% (≈59,940 sq. km) was biologically rich, with low fragmentation, low population density, and containing protected areas, World Heritage Sites, and tiger/elephant corridors.
• 
• Current Status
  • The area proposed for notification has reduced to 56,825 sq. km, mainly because Kerala conducted a ground survey and brought its area down to 9,993 sq. km.
  • Meanwhile, the number of villages has increased in Maharashtra and Goa, but decreased in Karnataka.
  • The latest draft covers 4,402 villages in total. Final area demarcation depends on state government recommendations, stakeholder views, and the ESA Expert Committee.

Key Recommendations of the Report

• The Kasturirangan Committee proposes a mix of outright bans and regulated activities:
• Banned entirely:
  • Mining, quarrying, and sand extraction
  • Setting up red-category industries
  • Thermal power plants
  • Construction of buildings beyond 20,000 sq. metres
  • Township and area development projects
• Regulated (not banned):
  • Infrastructure and development projects — subject to environmental clearances
  • Hydroelectricity projects — allowed with conditions
  • Any project within 10 km of the ESA requiring clearance — regulated under the EIA Notification, 2006
• The report also recommends financial incentives for "Green Growth" in the region and a decision-support and monitoring centre.

Kasturirangan vs Gadgil: The Key Difference

• 
• The Gadgil approach was broader and more stringent; the Kasturirangan approach is narrower but still contentious in the areas it does cover.

Karnataka's Specific Objections

• Scope should be narrower: ESA should cover only notified forest areas and other forest areas — not plantations, agriculture/horticulture fields, or residential and public areas.
• Methodology flaw: Areas were demarcated using satellite data, not a joint physical survey.
• Land classification gap: No accurate bifurcation exists between revenue and forest land.
• No livelihood alternatives: The draft provides no reference to alternative livelihood arrangements for affected people.
• Unaddressed legal categories: Issues like Bagair Hukum (unauthorised cultivation claims), forest rights, deemed forest status, land grants, and pending legal appeals need examination.
• Village-level objection: Karnataka opposes including entire villages under ESA merely because one-fifth of the village area might be forest.

Karnataka's Way Forward

• Both Houses of the Karnataka Legislature have:
  • Sought one year to conduct a physical survey of the area.
  • Demanded that Karnataka's portion of the ESA not be finalised until this survey is complete.
  • Announced a high-level committee headed by a retired judge, comprising all stakeholders, to review the report's shortcomings and recommend modifications.
• Cutting across party lines, legislators have urged the government to follow the "Keralam model" — where physical verification was conducted on the ground and submitted to the Centre, resulting in a reduced ESA footprint for that state.