News In Shorts: 27 March 2026

Radiative Forcing-Based Accounting

Context: A recent study published in the journal ‘Environmental Research Letters’ has proposed a new framework called Radiative Forcing-based Accounting (RFA).

About Radiative Forcing-based Accounting (RFA)

• Radiative Forcing-based Accounting (RFA) is a climate accounting framework that quantifies the warming impact of different greenhouse gases (GHGs) based on their radiative forcing, i.e., their actual contribution to energy imbalance in the Earth’s atmosphere.
• Unlike traditional carbon-equivalent metrics, RFA considers both the intensity and duration of warming caused by different gases.

Key Features

• Measures the actual warming potential of a gas based on radiative forcing in watts per square meter (W/m²).
• Accounts for lifetime differences: CO₂ persists for centuries; methane decays within decades.
• Helps in designing climate policies that optimize near-term and long-term warming reduction.
• Encourages carbon markets and mitigation strategies to value short-lived gases appropriately.
• Uses scientific climate models to translate emissions into temperature change contributions.

Advantages

• Provides more precise climate accounting for all GHGs.
• Highlights quick wins in reducing near-term warming (e.g., methane reduction in agriculture and fossil fuel sectors).
• Can inform policy decisions for both national and global climate targets.
• Supports transparent and fair carbon markets by reflecting actual warming contributions.

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Operation Urja Suraksha

Context: The Indian Navy has launched Operation Urja Suraksha to secure energy-carrying vessels bound for India through the Strait of Hormuz.

About Operation Urja Suraksha

• Strategic Location: Focuses on safeguarding vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
• Trigger Factor: It was initiated due to security concerns arising from actions involving Iran affecting maritime transit.
• Operational Role: Indian naval warships are providing escort, navigational assistance, and route guidance to these vessels.
• Strategic Significance: The operation highlights India’s commitment to energy security and protection of Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs).

Strait of Hormuz

• Location: The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
• Geographical Features: It is a narrow maritime chokepoint, approximately 33 km wide at its narrowest, with designated shipping lanes for transit.
• Energy Significance: Around one-fifth of the world’s petroleum and a major share of LNG trade passes through this strait.
• Importance for India: A large proportion of India’s crude oil and gas imports pass through the Strait, making it vital for India’s energy security.
• Legal Status: It is governed by international maritime law, ensuring the right of transit passage for all ships.

Ocean Warming Driving Humid Heatwaves

Context: A recent study has highlighted that warming oceans are driving a sharp rise in large-scale humid heatwaves across South and West Asia.

Key Findings of the Study

• Magnitude of Impact: Rising sea surface temperatures are responsible for a 50–64% increase in large-scale humid heatwaves over land.
• Primary Driver: Warming of coastal oceans, especially the Indian Ocean, is a key factor behind intensifying humid heat events.
• Regional Focus: South and West Asia are identified as major hotspots experiencing rising humid heat risks.
  • Similar patterns are observed with warming in the tropical North Atlantic influencing humid heatwaves in South America.
• Scale of Influence: Oceanic influence is stronger for large-scale, widespread heatwaves than for localized events.
• Stronger Land–Ocean Linkages in Tropics: Tropical regions experience stronger interaction between ocean heat and land climate, increasing vulnerability.

How Oceans Intensify Heatwaves?

• Evaporation: Warmer oceans cause higher evaporation, adding large amounts of moisture to the atmosphere.
• Moisture Transport: This moisture is carried by winds from oceans to nearby land regions, raising humidity levels during heatwaves.
• Reduced Cooling: High humidity reduces sweat evaporation, increasing wet-bulb temperatures and making heatwaves more dangerous.
• Ocean–Atmosphere Coupling: Climate systems like El Nino and the Indian Ocean Dipole amplify heat and moisture interactions.
• Atmospheric Circulation: Rossby waves help spread heat and moisture over vast regions, making heatwaves widespread.
  • Rossby waves are large-scale, slow-moving waves in the atmosphere that form due to the planet’s rotation and help redistribute heat and weather patterns across regions.
• Persistence of Heat Events: High moisture content traps heat near the surface, making heatwaves longer and more intense.

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IIED Food Security Index

Context: A study by the International Institute for Environment and Development using a global Food Security Index highlights rising climate risks to food systems.

About Food Security Index

• It is the world’s most comprehensive assessment of food security, this index covers 162 countries and measures availability, access, nutrition and resilience now and under 1.5, 2 and 4°C of global warming.
• Four Pillars of Food Security Assessed: The index evaluates availability, accessibility, utilisation (nutrition), and sustainability, highlighting systemic vulnerabilities.

Key Findings of Food Security Index

• Decline in Food Security with Warming: Global temperature rise to 1.5°C and 2°C is projected to significantly reduce food security scores across countries.
• Widening Global Inequality: Climate change will widen the gap between rich and poor countries, with sharper declines in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
• Large Population at Risk: Around 4.56 billion people (59%) already live below average food security levels, with millions more at risk under warming scenarios.
• Limits of Economic Growth: Higher GDP improves food access marginally but fails to ensure resilience of food systems against repeated climate shocks.

Key Concerns about India

• Low Baseline Food Security Score: India’s score (5.31) is already below the global average, indicating structural weaknesses.
• Sharp Decline under Warming Scenarios: Projected to fall to 4.96 (1.5°C) and 4.52 (2°C), reflecting increasing vulnerability.
• Climate Impact on Agriculture and Nutrition: Rising heat threatens crop yields, affordability, and nutritional quality of food.
• Weak System Resilience: Economic growth alone may not strengthen long-term sustainability and resilience of India’s food systems.

Rising temperatures threaten global food security, making climate-resilient agriculture and equitable food systems essential to safeguard vulnerable populations like India’s.

Agnite Engine

Context: Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos successfully tested its 3D-printed ‘Agnite’ booster engine, marking a major milestone in indigenous space propulsion technology.

About Agnite Engine

• ‘Agnite’ is a 3D-printed semi-cryogenic booster engine designed to power the booster stage of the Agnibaan launch vehicle.
• Key Features
  • Built as a single-piece structure, eliminating thousands of components used in traditional engines
  • Manufactured within one week using additive manufacturing
  • Made from Inconel, ensuring high thermal and structural strength
  • Uses electrically driven pumps, enhancing efficiency and control
• Applications
  • Powers small satellite launch vehicles like Agnibaan
  • Enables rapid, low-cost, and on-demand launches
  • Reduces manufacturing complexity and turnaround time

About Agnikul Cosmos

• Agnikul Cosmos is an Indian aerospace startup focused on affordable and on-demand satellite launch services.
• Founded: Founded in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, and Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy
  • It is based at IIT Madras, Chennai, within the National Centre for Combustion Research and Development
• Other Significant Contributions of Agnikul
  • Agnibaan Launch Vehicle: A customisable small-lift rocket capable of carrying up to 100 kg payloads to low Earth orbit.
  • 3D-Printed Engine Technology (Agnilet): Pioneered single-piece 3D-printed rocket engines, reducing cost, weight, and assembly time.
  • Private Launchpad (Dhanush): Established India’s first private launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
  • Semi-Cryogenic Propulsion Breakthrough: Successfully demonstrated liquid oxygen–kerosene propulsion in the Agnibaan SOrTeD mission (2024).

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QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026

Context: IIT ISM Dhanbad Ranked 21st Globally in Mineral & Mining Engineering in QS Rankings 2026.

Key Trends of QS Ranking by Subject 2026 

• United States: Remains the most represented country, with US universities taking the top spot in 32 of the 55 subjects.
• United Kingdom: Boasts the highest concentration of top-tier programs relative to its number of institutions, led by Oxford and Cambridge.
• India’s Performance: India secured 27 spots in the top 50 across various disciplines, a significant increase from 12 in 2024, featuring 12 different institutions.
  • IIT Delhi (36th in Engineering & Technology), IIT Bombay (44th in Computer Science), IIM Ahmedabad (21st in Business & Management), and IIT ISM Dhanbad (21st in Mineral & Mining Engineering) are top performers.
• Positions  of Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad
  • Secured 21st rank globally in Mineral and Mining Engineering, retaining its position as the top institute in India in this domain.
    • Colorado School of Mines (USA) is consistently ranked as the top university globally for Mineral and Mining Engineering
  • Ranked 4th in India and placed in the 151–175 global rank band, reflecting growing expertise in energy-related disciplines.
  • Made its debut in Mechanical Engineering within the 501–575 global rank band, indicating expanding academic diversification.

About QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026

• The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 is the 16th edition and is the most comprehensive to date, reflecting a global shift toward specialized excellence and significant momentum in Asian higher education systems.
• Published by: QS Quacquarelli Symonds.
• Total Subjects: 55 narrow disciplines (up from 54 in previous years).
• Broad Faculty Areas: 5 (Arts & Humanities, Engineering & Technology, Life Sciences & Medicine, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences & Management).
• Scope: The rankings evaluated over 21,000 academic programs from more than 1,900 institutions across 100+ countries
• Ranking Methodology: QS uses five key indicators to determine the scores, with weightings adjusted specifically for each subject:
  • Academic Reputation: Based on a global survey of over 150,000 academics.
  • Employer Reputation: Based on a survey of over 100,000 employers.
  • Citations per Paper: Measuring research impact.
  • H-index: Measuring both the productivity and impact of a scholar’s published work.
  • International Research Network (IRN): Reflecting the ability of institutions to diversify their research geography.

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