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India’s Rare Earth Corridors: Integrating Strategic Manufacturing, Environmental Stewardship, and Long-Term National Resilience

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T he Union Budget 2026–27 marked a decisive turning point in India’s critical minerals policy with the announcement of Dedicated Rare Earth Corridors in Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu , supported by the ₹7,280 crore Rare Earth Permanent Magnet (REPM) Manufacturing Scheme approved in November 2025. Together, these initiatives reflect a strategic reorientation in how India perceives rare earth elements, not merely as industrial inputs, but as national assets central to economic resilience, energy transition, technological sovereignty, and defence preparedness. Rare earth permanent magnets are indispensable to electric vehicles, wind turbines, consumer electronics, aerospace systems, and advanced defence equipment. Yet between 2022 and 2025, India sourced approximately 60–80 per cent of its permanent magnets by value and 85–90 per cent by quantity from China. In a global environment increasingly characterised by geopolitical rivalry, export controls, and supply-chain we...
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Will Earth’s Environmental Mistakes Be Repeated in Space?

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Human environmental history on Earth reveals a recurring and troubling pattern: exploration is followed by exploitation, degradation, and only later, often after irreversible damage, regulation. From deforestation and fossil fuel dependence to climate change and biodiversity loss, environmental crises have largely emerged not from a lack of knowledge, but from delayed responsibility and weak governance. Today, humanity stands at a similar threshold with outer space. Once confined to state-led scientific missions and geopolitical symbolism, space exploration is rapidly transforming into a domain of commercial activity and economic ambition. The rise of private space corporations, satellite mega-constellations, space tourism, lunar bases, and asteroid mining proposals signals a decisive shift from exploration to utilisation, and potentially exploitation. This transition closely mirrors the early stages of industrial development on Earth, when natural systems were viewed primarily as res...
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Location: India
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Turtle Trails in Union Budget 2026–27: An In-Depth Environmental Analysis of Sea Turtle Conservation, Coastal Development Pressures, and India’s Marine Stewardship

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               T he Union Budget for 2026–27, presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, introduced a policy initiative titled “Turtle Trails” , aimed at protecting sea turtle nesting habitats while promoting eco-tourism along India’s extensive coastline. By identifying ecologically significant coastal regions in Kerala, Odisha, and Karnataka, the programme brings marine biodiversity into the national development discourse in a manner rarely witnessed in India’s fiscal planning. From an environmental perspective, this initiative represents a critical yet fragile opportunity . Sea turtles are not only endangered species but also key ecosystem engineers that regulate marine ecological balance . Their conservation is intrinsically linked to fisheries sustainability, coastal resilience, climate adaptation, and the livelihood security of millions of coastal communities. Consequently, Turtle Trails must be evaluated not merely as a to...
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Location: India
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Union Budget 2026–27: An Environmental and Sustainability-Centred Economic Analysis

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               T he Union Budget 2026–27, presented as a Yuva Shakti-driven Budget, is framed around three guiding Kartavya: accelerating economic growth, building human capacity, and ensuring inclusive development aligned with the vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas . India stands at a critical juncture: it is one of the fastest-growing major economies, yet also among the most climate-vulnerable countries. The Budget must therefore be evaluated not only in terms of fiscal prudence and growth potential, but also by how effectively it addresses ecological stress, resource scarcity, emissions intensity, biodiversity protection, and long-term sustainability at both the national and global levels. 1. Environment–Economy Integration: A Structural Shift A notable feature of the 2026–27 Budget is that environmental considerations are not confined to a single ministry or scheme. Instead, sustainability is embedded across infrastructure, energy, trans...
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