Environment — Bharat

Healing the Earth: How India Brought 21 Million Hectares of Degraded Land Back to Life

In a historic announcement coinciding with the release of its Second Progress Report on the Bonn Challenge, India’s Ministry of Environment has revealed that the nation has successfully brought 21.76 million hectares of degraded and deforested land under active restoration. On track to meet its massive, world-record pledge of 26 million hectares by 2030, India is attempting to heal its scarred soil at a scale never before witnessed in modern conservation. But as global temperatures climb, maintaining these newly restored ecosystems presents a daunting physical challenge.

By Ananya Menon|11 hours ago

The Intensity Illusion: Why India’s New 2035 Climate Pledges Protect the Status Quo

With the March 25, 2026, approval of our updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) for the 2031–2035 period, our government has signaled a measured step-up in climate ambition to the United Nations. But beneath the celebratory headlines of a 47 percent emissions intensity cut and a 60 percent non-fossil capacity target lies a sobering reality. We are playing a highly calculated numbers game where the math is designed to protect our coal plants and allow our absolute emissions to keep climbing.

By Ananya Menon|yesterday