Short News

Antarctica’s sea ice at record low extent

Antarctica is experiencing warm temperatures during peak winter, impacting its sea ice cover.
As of July 2023, the sea ice extent in Antarctica was only 14.2 million square kilometers, significantly below the expected 16.7 million sq km for this time of year.
This deviation exceeds six standard deviations (SD) from the normal, indicating an extreme event.
- SD is a measure of how much an observation deviates from the mean.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) highlighted a loss of about 2.6 million square kilometers of sea ice in Antarctica compared to the long-term satellite-era average.
Antarctica:
- It is Earth’s southernmost continent. It contains the geographic South Pole and is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere.
- Research Stations: The Dakshin Gangotri station (decommissioned) and the Maitri station, Bharti were established to carry out research in Antarctica.

Biomass Co-firing

The Ministry of Power issued a modification to revise the biomass policy, mandating 5% biomass co-firing in Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) from FY 2024-25 and 7% from FY 2025-26.
Biomass co-firing in Thermal Power Plants is the process of using biomass pellets along with coal as a fuel source for generating electricity.
Biomass Pellets are a popular type of biomass fuel, generally made from wood wastes, agricultural biomass, commercial grasses and forestry residues.

Gender Inclusion Fund (GIF)

The NEP introduces the “Gender Inclusion Fund” (GIF) to support female and transgender students in gaining access to education.
The fund will help states implement critical priorities such as sanitation, bicycles, and cash transfers.
It will also enable effective community-based interventions to address specific barriers to education for girls and transgender children.
The GIF aims to promote equitable and quality education for all genders.