ONGC to Develop Strategic Petroleum Reserve at Mangaluru
Context: The Union Government informed Parliament that ONGC will reserve 50% of its proposed 1.75 MMT crude oil storage facility at Mangaluru as a Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).
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Key Announcements
- Strategic Reserve at Mangaluru: ONGC is developing a 1.75 MMT crude oil storage facility at Mangaluru, with 50% earmarked as strategic storage and the remaining 50% for commercial operations.
- Current Storage Capacity: India’s existing crude oil and petroleum product storage can meet 74 days of net crude import requirements.
- Expansion of Strategic Reserves: The Government plans to add 6.5 MMT of additional storage capacity, including:
- 4 MMT at Chandikhol (Odisha) and Padur (Karnataka).
- Chandikhol Project: The estimated project cost is about ₹9,000 crore, and the draft Request for Proposal (RFP) and Concession Agreement are being finalised.
About Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)
- Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) refers to government-owned emergency crude oil stockpiles maintained to ensure energy security during supply disruptions or geopolitical crises.
- IEA Mandate: The International Energy Agency recommends a 90-day reserve of net oil imports to maintain oil supply security during a crisis.
- Management: India’s SPR facilities are developed and managed by the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
- Existing SPR Locations: India currently has operational strategic petroleum reserves at:
- Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)
- Mangaluru (Karnataka)
- Padur (Karnataka)
- Proposed SPR Facilities: Chandikhol in Odisha, Bina in Madhya Pradesh, Bikaner in Rajasthan, and Mangaluru and Padur in Karnataka.
Satish Gujral
Context: Recently, the Department of Posts released a commemorative postage stamp to mark the centenary of renowned artist, architect, sculptor, muralist and writer Satish Gujral.
About Satish Gujral (1925–2020)
- He was a distinguished Indian painter, sculptor, muralist, architect and writer who played a significant role in shaping post-Independence Indian modernism.
- He received the Padma Vibhushan in 1999.
- Early Life: Born in Jhelum in undivided Punjab, Gujral suffered a swimming accident at eight that left him bedridden for several years and impaired his hearing, leading him towards drawing and literature.
- He studied at the Mayo School of Arts, Lahore, and later at the Sir J.J. School of Art, Bombay.
- Notable Works and Themes:
- Partition Series: His Partition Series portrayed the trauma and suffering of refugees during the 1947 Partition.
- Political Portraits: Beginning in the 1950s, Gujral created portraits of India’s political leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Maulana Azad, Krishna Menon, etc.
- Muralism: After training in Mexico under muralists Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, he introduced large-scale mural techniques to Indian public art.
- Burnt Wood Sculptures: He developed innovative sculptures using burnt and charred wood, along with materials such as steel, copper, bronze and glass, creating a distinctive artistic vocabulary.
- Architecture: Despite lacking formal architectural training, he designed notable structures, including the Embassy of Belgium in New Delhi, recognised for its distinctive exposed-brick and organic architectural design.
- Legacy: Satish Gujral is remembered for his exceptional versatility across painting, sculpture, muralism, architecture and writing, with his works contributing significantly to India’s modern artistic and cultural heritage.
About Postage Stamp
- A postage stamp is a small adhesive paper issued by a government or postal authority to indicate prepayment of postal charges and has also become an important medium of cultural representation.
- Origin: The world’s first postage stamp, the Penny Black, was issued in Britain in 1840, while India’s first adhesive stamp, the Scinde Dawk, was issued in 1852 in Sind.
- Types of Stamps in India Post
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- Definitive Stamps: Regular stamps issued for everyday postal use in different denominations.
- Commemorative Stamps: Special issues released to honour notable personalities, events and historical milestones.
- Commemorative stamps in India are decided by the Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications, with recommendations provided by the Philatelic Advisory Committee (PAC).
- Thematic/Special Issues: Stamps focusing on themes such as nature, heritage, architecture and science.
- Uses: Postage stamps facilitate postal prepayment, preserve and promote cultural heritage, commemorate important personalities and events, and support philately as a hobby and collectible activity
Glaw Lake
Context: Glaw Lake has been designated India’s 101st Ramsar Site, becoming Arunachal Pradesh’s first internationally recognised wetland under the Ramsar Convention.
About Glaw Lake
- Glaw Lake, also known as Glow Lake, is a pristine high-altitude natural freshwater lake situated in the Eastern Himalayas.
- Location: The lake is located in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh, near Wakro, within the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, with Namdapha National Park lying to its south.
- Key Features
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- High-Altitude Freshwater Ecosystem: Spread over nearly 8 sq km at an elevation of approximately 1,168 metres, the lake is an important source of the perennial Kamlang River.
- Hydrological Significance: The lake is fed by perennial mountain streams originating from the Eastern Himalayan region and contributes to the local river system.
- Floral Diversity: Its surrounding catchment supports rich vegetation, with over 150 tree species and 49 orchid species recorded within the site and its catchment.
- Biodiversity Hotspot: Located within the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, the landscape supports diverse wildlife and acts as a habitat and forest corridor for species such as the Hoolock Gibbon, Capped Langur, Red Panda and Mishmi Takin.
About Ramsar Sites
- Ramsar Sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, adopted in 1971 at Ramsar, Iran, to promote their conservation and wise use.
- India joined the Ramsar Convention on February 1, 1982
- India’s Position: With the designation of Glaw Lake, India has 101 Ramsar Sites covering 1,387,741 hectares as of August 2026.
- Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (UP) was India’s 100th Ramsar Site.
- Global Position: India ranks 3rd globally (after the United Kingdom and Mexico) and 1st in Asia for having the highest number(101) of Ramsar sites.
- Largest Ramsar Site: Sundarban Wetland in West Bengal is India’s largest Ramsar site, covering approximately 4,230 sq km.
- World’s largest individual Ramsar site is the Llanos de Moxos wetland in Bolivia, covering an immense area of over 6.9 million hectares
- Smallest Ramsar Sites: Renuka Wetland (Himachal Pradesh) and Vembannur Wetland Complex (Tamil Nadu) are among the smallest, each covering about 0.2 sq km (20 hectares).
- State with most Wetlands in India: Tamil Nadu has the highest number of Ramsar sites (20)
- Montreux Record: Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and Loktak Lake (Manipur) are India’s two wetlands listed under the Montreux Record.
- The Montreux Record is a register of Ramsar sites where ecological character has changed, is changing, or is likely to change due to technological developments, pollution, or other human interference.
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Republic of Naoero
Context: Nauru has revised its official name to the Republic of Naoero.
Rationale of Renaming
- Decolonisation and Identity: The name Naoero is considered the indigenous form, while Nauru entered official records during German colonial rule; the revision seeks to reaffirm national identity and heritage.
- Language Preservation: The change also aims to support dorerin Naoero, the country’s indigenous language classified by UNESCO as severely endangered, by strengthening its cultural and linguistic identity.
About the Republic of Naoero
- The Republic of Naoero (formerly Nauru) is the world’s smallest independent republic, covering about 21 sq km
- It has no official capital, while government offices and Parliament are located in Yaren District, the de facto capital.
- Location and Neighbours: Nauru is an island nation in southeastern Micronesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, located about 42 km south of the Equator; its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island of Kiribati, around 300 km east.
- Key Features
- Geography: It is an oval-shaped raised coral island with a narrow fertile coastal belt surrounding a central phosphate plateau called Topside with Command Ridge as its highest point.
- Climate and Hydrology: It has a hot, humid tropical marine climate with seasonal rainfall, no rivers or substantial lakes, and Buada Lagoon as its main inland water body.
- Economy and Resources: Intensive phosphate mining has severely degraded its interior, leaving limited agricultural capacity and high dependence on imported food, fuel and manufactured goods.
- Key Threats
- Climate Vulnerability: Rising sea levels, coastal erosion and intensifying storms pose major threats to this low-lying island nation.
- Resource and Economic Fragility: Environmental degradation, freshwater scarcity and depleted phosphate reserves have increased dependence on foreign aid, fishing licences and external economic support.
- Strategic Significance
- Maritime Zone: Despite its tiny landmass, Nauru possesses a large Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) supporting valuable tuna fisheries.
- Deep-Sea Mining: Nauru is involved in efforts promoting deep-sea mining exploration in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, which contains polymetallic nodules rich in minerals such as cobalt, nickel and manganese.
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4 Aug 2026
