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India's average temperature rose by 0.9° C in last decade: study
India's average temperature rose by nearly 0.9° Celsius in the last decade (2015-2024) with the number of warm days increasing across most of the country, a new study says, highlighting the urgent need for adaptation strategies. The hottest day of the year also registered a temperature rise of 1.5-2 degrees Celsius in western and northeast India since the 1950s, the study found. The research by climate scientists Chirag Dhara (Krea University, India), Aditi Deshpande (Savitribai Phule Pune University), Roxy Mathew Koll (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology), Padmini Dalpadado (Institute of Marine Research, Norway) and Mandira Singh Shrestha (International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, Nepal), states that this warming is driving a surge in extreme weather events. The new peer-reviewed study synthesises the latest observational data and climate model projections to paint a stark picture, the researchers said.
Region wise, the Hindukush Himalayas observed accelerated warming and glacier melt, while the Indo-Gangetic plains witnessed increase in heat stress and decline in the June-July-August-September (JJAS) rainfall.
Northwest India witnessed an increase in warm days and warm nights, the western India experienced a rise in extreme rainfall and an increase in warm days and warm nights. The western coast saw an increase in severe tropical cyclones and rise in sea levels, while the Arabian Sea also witnessed accelerated warming, the study said.
BSF sets up hi-tech research hub, CARTS, at Gwalior Academy
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The Border Security Force (BSF) has established a Centre for Advanced Research and Technology in Seema Suraksha (CARTS) to develop requisite counter-measures. The BSF will work in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, to set up this centre at the Border Security Force Academy in Gwalior. This centre would strengthen, modernise and enhance India’s border security through cutting-edge technological research, making it more effective, robust and self-reliant.
The primary objective of CARTS will be to develop advanced technological solutions keeping in view the real-time challenges associated with border security, said a BSF spokesperson.
The IIT-Madras will provide technical expertise, research support and establish a research and development laboratory, while the BSF will provide field experience, facilities and operational insights.
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The centre will undertake research and develop solutions in domains like smart surveillance systems, AI-based monitoring, sensor networks, integrated observation systems, drone and anti-drone technologies, detection of smuggling and suspicious activities, robotics for border monitoring, climate-resilient equipment for personnel deployed in remote and harsh terrains, communication and data security solutions as well as AI/ML-based intelligence and threat analysis. An MoU in this regard has been signed by Dr Shamsher Singh, Director, BSF Academy, Gwalior, and Prof Manu Santhanam, Dean, (IC & SR), IIT-Madras, on behalf of their respective organisations.
New Labour Codes boost worker benefits, give gig workers legal recognition
India's new Labour Codes, aimed at replacing 29 existing labour laws, are expected to significantly improve worker welfare while extending formal protections to gig and platform workers for the first time. The four Codes introduce uniform wage rules, stronger safety standards and simplified compliance for employers across sectors.
Under the new framework, all workers will be entitled to minimum wages, salary credit by the 7th of each month, double wages for overtime, and mandatory appointment letters. Workers will also receive free annual health check-ups, and Fixed Term Employees will become eligible for gratuity after one year of continuous service.
Women workers gain expanded rights including equal pay, consent-based night-shift employment with enhanced safety measures, 26 weeks of paid maternity leave, and broader opportunities across manufacturing, mining, services and IT.
In a major shift, gig and platform workers such as delivery partners, ride-hailing drivers and other app-based workers receive legal recognition for the first time. Aggregator platforms will contribute up to 5 per cent to a Social Security Fund, making insurance, accident compensation and other benefits portable across states.
Reforms can also be seen in the context of India's bid to diversify and boost investments amid an increasingly competitive global environment and tariff-related disruptions worldwide.
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