| Ecology and Environment | Environment, Habitat and Ecosystem | Environment |
| | Habitat |
| | Habitat vs Environment |
| | Ecosystem |
| | Classification of Ecosystems |
| | Difference Between Environment and Ecosystem |
| | Difference Between Environment and Ecology |
| | Difference Between Ecology and Ecosystem |
| | Components of an Ecosystem – Abiotic and Biotic |
| | Abiotic Components |
| | Biotic Components |
| | Primary Producers – Autotrophs |
| | Consumers – Heterotrophs or Phagotrophs |
| Ecology – Principles and Organizations | Levels of Organizations in Ecology – Individual and Species, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biome, Ecotone, Biosphere |
| | Ecotone |
| | Niche |
| | Types of Niche |
| | Principles of Ecology – Adaptation, Variation, Speciation, Mutation, Natural Selection, Evolution, Extinction |
| Functions of an Ecosystem – Succession and Homeostasis | Ecological Succession |
| | Stages in Ecological Succession – Primary and Secondary |
| | Homeostasis |
| Functions of an Ecosystem – Trophic Levels | Food Chain – Grazing and Detritus |
| | Food Web |
| | Types of Biotic Interactions in a Food Web |
| | Ecological Pyramids, Types and Limitations |
| | Biomagnification – Pollutants and Trophic Level |
| Functions of an Ecosystem – Biogeochemical Cycling | Types of Nutrient Cycles – Carbon, Nitrogen, Sulphur, Water, Phosphorus, Methane |
| | Nutrient Cycling |
| | Nitrogen Fixing – N2 to Ammonia (NH3) |
| | Nitrification – Ammonia to Nitrites and Nitrates |
| | Ammonification – Urea, Uric Acid to NH3 to Nitrite |
| | Denitrification – Nitrate to Nitrogen |
| | Methane Emissions and Sink |
| Natural Ecosystems | Terrestrial Ecosystems or Biomes |
| | Tundra Biome |
| | Taiga or Boreal Biome |
| | Temperate Deciduous Biome (North-Western Europe – British Type Climate) |
| | Temperate Rainforest Biome |
| | Sub-Tropical Deciduous Biome in Eastern China, South-eastern USA |
| | Steppe or Temperate Grassland Biome |
| | Temperate Deciduous Biome (Mediterranean) |
| | Tropical Deciduous Biome (Monsoon Climate) |
| | Savanna or Tropical Wet and Dry Biome |
| | Tropical Rainforest Biome |
| | Desert Biome |
| Aquatic Ecosystems | Aquatic Organisms |
| | Factors Limiting the Productivity |
| Natural Ecosystem Services and Goods | Quantifying the Economic Value of Natural Ecosystems (Ecosystem valuation) |
| | The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) |
| | Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) |
| | Ecosystem Services by Seagrass |
| | Ecosystem Services by Seaweed |
| Wetland Ecosystem | Differences Between Wetlands and Lakes |
| | Estuarine Wetland Ecosystem |
| | Differences between Lagoon and Estuary |
| | Importance of Estuaries |
| | Estuarine Vegetation |
| | Indian Estuarine Ecosystem |
| | Threats Faced by the Estuarine Ecosystem |
| | Mangroves |
| | Adaptive Mechanism of Mangroves |
| | Mangroves in India |
| | Global Status of Mangrove Cover |
| | Importance of mangroves |
| | Threats to Mangroves |
| | Importance of Wetlands |
| | Reasons for the Depletion of Wetlands |
| | Mitigation of Wetland Destruction |
| | Measures to Protect Wetlands of India |
| | National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA) |
| | Wetlands (Conservation-Management) Rules 2010 |
| | Wetlands (Conservation-Management) Rules 2017 |
| | Measures to Protect Global Wetlands |
| | Ramsar Convention on Wetlands |
| | Ramsar Site |
| Biodiversity and Loss of Biodiversity | Terms Related to Biodiversity |
| | Biodiversity – Genetic, Species and Ecological |
| | Endemism |
| | Species Types |
| | Bioprospecting |
| | Biopiracy |
| | Biodiversity of India |
| | Realms |
| | Biomes, Biogeographic Zones and Provinces |
| | Biodiversity Hot Spots |
| | Biodiversity Hotspots in India |
| | Loss of Biodiversity |
| | The Extent of Biodiversity Loss as per IPBES Report |
| | Living Planet Report 2022 |
| | The State of the World’s Birds |
| | Causes Behind Biodiversity Loss |
| | Habitat Loss and Fragmentation |
| | Alien Species Invasions |
| | Over-Exploitation |
| | Species Extinction |
| | Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO/Transgenic Organisms) |
| | Trade in Wildlife |
| | Pollution and Climate Change |
| | Consequences of Loss of Biodiversity |
| | Affects Livelihood |
| | Human-animal Conflict |
| | Increased Zoonosis due to Habitat Loss |
| | Adverse Changes to Biotic Interactions |
| Biodiversity Conservation | In situ conservation |
| | Reserved and Protected Forests |
| | Wildlife Sanctuaries or Wildlife Refuges |
| | National Park |
| | Biosphere Reserve |
| | Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) |
| | Conservation Reserves |
| | Community Reserves |
| | Sacred Groves |
| | Ex Situ Conservation |
| | National Initiatives |
| | Wildlife Mitigation Measures – Eco-Bridges |
| | Preservation of the Western and Eastern Ghats |
| | Environment Movements |
| | Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) |
| | Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety |
| | Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing |
| | International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) |
| | Aichi Biodiversity Targets |
| | COP-15 of the UN CBD |
| | Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework |
| | Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework |
| | Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) |
| | World Forestry Congress and Seoul Declaration |
| | Initiatives By The UN |
| Wildlife Conservation | Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 |
| | Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) |
| | 19th Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP19) |
| | Policies/Laws Concerning CITES in India |
| | International Wildlife Conservation Organisation – MIKE, TRAFFIC, CAWT |
| | Regulating Trade in Wildlife and Policies Regulating Foreign Trade |
| | Enforcement: Wildlife Crime Control Bureau |
| | Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) |
| | The 13th Conference of the Parties to CMS (CoP13) |
| | International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) |
| | IUCN Red List or Red Data List or Red Book |
| | BirdLife International (BI) |
| | Tiger Conservation and Project Tiger – NTCA, Tiger Corridors, Core-Buffer Zones, Tiger Census |
| | Challenges to Tiger Conservation |
| | National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) |
| | International Efforts Towards Tiger and Snow Leopard Conservation |
| | The Global Tiger Initiative, St. Petersburg Declaration, TX2 and Tiger Conservation Excellence Award |
| | Project Snow Leopard |
| | Reintroduction of Cheetahs in India – Why Kuno NP? |
| | Cheetah vs Leopard vs Jaguar |
| | Conservation of Lions – Asiatic Lion, Project Lion |
| | Conservation of Elephants – Project Elephant, Elephant Corridor |
| | Asian Elephant vs African Elephant and African Forest Elephant vs African Savanna (Bush) Elephant |
| | Conservation of Great One-Horned Rhino – World Rhino Species, |
| | India’s Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros – India Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020 |
| | Conservation of the Indian Dolphins – Gangetic, Indus, Irrawaddy Dolphins |
| | Indian Crocodile Species – Crocodile vs Alligator vs Gharial |
| | Conservation of India Crocodile Species – Indian Crocodile Conservation Project |
| | Conservation of Turtles(Batagur, Nissilonia & Others) – Sea Turtle Conservation Project |
| | India & Non Indian Vultures Species – Conservation of Indian Vultures |
| | Diclofenac and Indian Vulture Crisis – Steps Taken by The Government |
| | Project Hangul (Kashmiri Stag) |
| | Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats |
| | Animal Welfare Board of India |
| | National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP) 2017-2031 |
| | National Action Plan for Conservation of Migratory Birds (2018-2023) |
| | Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) |
| | International Whaling Commission (IWC) |
| | World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) |
| | Green Good Deeds Initiative |
| | India State of Forest Report 2021 – Major Terms/Definitions, Forest-Tree cover, |
| | Recorded Forest Area (RFA), Tress Outside Forests (TOF), Fire Proneness, Mangrove Cover |
| | Forest Survey of India (FSI) |
| | Criticism of FSI’s approach and ISFR |
| | National Forest Inventory, Growing Stock, Bamboo Resources, Carbon Stock in India’s Forests |
| | Forest Types of India |
| | Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 – Forest Area of Top 5 Countries In 2020 |
| | GFRA and India |
| | Policies – National Forest Policy 1988, Draft National Forest Policy 2018 |
| | Afforestation Programmes – National Afforestation Programme (NAP), Compensatory Afforestation (CA), Aerial Seeding for Reforestation |
| | Green Credit Scheme |
| Air Pollution: Causes and Air Pollutants | Pollution – Air Pollution(Major Causes, Classification of Air Pollutants) |
| | Other Pollutants – Particulate Pollutants, Fly ash, Nanoparticles (NPs), Black Carbon (Soot) |
| | Carbon Monoxide (CO), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Ozone (O3), Nitrogen Oxides(NOx),Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Benzene, |
| | Stratospheric Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) |
| | Air Pollution: Effects and Control Measures, Effects of Air Pollution, Prevention and Control of Air Pollution |
| | Smog (Smoke + Fog), Aerosols and their Impact on Monsoon Rainfall |
| | Acid Rain |
| | Control of Industrial Pollution, Pollution Index to Control Industrial Pollution, |
| | Ozone Depletion – Measures to Regulate Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS), Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol, Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol 2016 |
| | Vienna Convention |
| | Montreal Protocol |
| | Coal Gasification |
| | Measures to Control Vehicular Pollution in India |
| | National Clean Air Program (NCAP) – Measures to Control Air Pollution in NCR |
| | National Air Quality Monitoring Programme |
| | National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) |
| | SAFAR System for Monitoring Air Pollutants |
| | National Air Quality Index (AQI) |
| Radioactive Pollution | Radioactive Pollution – Ionising & Non Ionising Accidents , Safe Disposal of Nuclear Wastes |
| Water Pollution | Water Pollution: Causes, Effects & Control Measures |
| | Measuring Pollution Load in Water |
| | Effects of Water Pollution – Industrial Wastes, Thermal and Radiation Pollution, Mining. Groundwater and Drinking Water Contamination, Sewage Water, Agricultural Sources, Invasive Aquatic Species |
| | Pollution in River Ganga |
| | Marine Pollution: Oil Spills and Plastic |
| | Effects of Water Pollution – Human Health, Environment, Aquatic Ecosystem |
| | Eutrophication and Algal Blooms, Dead Zones |
| | Ageing of Lakes |
| | Blue Tide |
| | Water Pollution Control Measures – Bioremediation, Riparian buffers for Mitigation of Eutrophication, Sewage Water Treatment for Domestic Use, Bio-Toilets |
| | Water Pollution Control Measures in India and Indian River Systems |
| | Major River Conservation Initiatives |
| | Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) |
| | National Water Quality Monitoring Programme |
| | Measures to Curb Marine Pollution |
| | Convention on Dumping of Wastes at Sea |
| | The United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) |
| | International Maritime Organization (IMO) |
| Plastic Pollution | Plastic Pollution, Solid, Hazardous and E-Waste |
| | Major Plastics in Use – Microplastics, Microbeads & Nanoplastics & their effects. |
| | Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 |
| | NITI Aayog’s Report on Alternatives to Plastics |
| | Solid Wastes – Sources, Treatment and Disposal, Measures to Manage |
| | Solid Waste Management Rules (2016) |
| | Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016 |
| | Hazardous Waste – Regulating, Basel Convention |
| | Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016 |
| | Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) – Stockholm Convention |
| | Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent |
| | Joint meetings of Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions |
| | Hong Kong Convention on Recycling of Ships and Recycling of Ships Act, 2019 |
| | Regulatory Measures by India |
| | Steel Scrap Recycling Policy |
| | Heavy Metals – Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Chromium, Other Heavy Metals |
| | Electronic waste (E-Waste) – Generation and Recycling and E-Waste Management Rules, 2016 |
| Highly Polluting Industries (HPIs) | Major Polluting Industries – Thermal PowerPlants, Iron and Steel, Cement, Cu Smelting, Zinc/Lead, Aluminium, Fertiliser, Paper&Pulp,Sugar, Tanneries, Petroleum Refining & Petrochemicals |
| | Industrial Emissions and Effluents Monitoring |
| | Pollutants From HPIs |
| Land Degradation & Desertification | Major Causes for Land Degradation – Deforestation, Soil Salinity and Soil Alkalinity, Desertification,Waterlogging, |
| | Deforestation |
| | Causes of Deforestation |
| | Faulty Methods of Agriculture |
| | Wind Erosion, Water Erosion, Sea Erosion in India |
| | Desertification – United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), UNCCD Global Land Outlook Report, Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) initiative |
| | Soil Conservation |
| Climate Change | Climate Change – Causes, Impacts & Mitigation |
| | Climate Change (CC) and Global Warming – History & its impact |
| | Greenhouse effect – Greenhouse Gases |
| | Global Warming Potential & Lifetime of GHGs – Carbon Dioxide, Ozone, Water Vapor, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, Black Carbon, Fluorinated Gases, Carbon Monoxide |
| | Carbon Footprint – Various Sector, State Wise Carbon Emission |
| | Climate Sensitivity – Feedbacks Drive Uncertainty |
| | Current State of Emissions – IEA World Energy Outlook Recent Report, Climate Change Performance Index, Environmental Performance Index (EPI) |
| | Climate Change Mitigation Measures – Clean coal technology, Geoengineering, Climate Smart Cities, Transition to Green Economy |
| | Carbon Capture and Storage |
| | Carbon Sink |
| | Carbon Sequestration |
| | Deterioration of Carbon sinks |
| | Climate Migrants |
| | Coral Reefs – Ideal Conditions, Corals and Zooxanthellae, Causes of Coral Bleaching |
| | Australia’s Great Barrier Reef |
| | Biorock Technology for Coral Restoration |
| | Increased Frequency and Severity of Heat Waves – Urban Heat Islands, Marine Heat Waves, Wildfires |
| | Shrinking Cryosphere – Arctic Amplification (PA), Sea Level Change, |
| | Tropical Cyclones are Becoming More Severe |
| | Coal Bed Methane |
| IPCC Reports | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – IPCC Reports, IPCC Special Reports, IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) |
| International Environmental Conventions, NGOs and Laws | United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (1972) – Stockholm Declaration |
| | UN Environment Programme (UNEP) – Agencies, Global Environment Facility (GEF) |
| | UNCED/Earth Summit, Rio De Janeiro – Landmark Agreements and High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) |
| | The History of SDGs – Brundtland Commission, UNCED or Earth Summit 1992, Rio De Janeiro Brazil |
| | Post UNCED – Rio+10 (2002) or Earth Summit 2002, Rio+20 (2012) or Earth Summit 2012, UN Agenda 2030 – Sustainable Development Goals |
| | United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – COP, Criticism |
| | Kyoto Protocol (COP 3; UNFCCC 1997) – Common but Differentiated Responsibilities, Doha Amendment, Flexible Market Mechanisms, Criticisms |
| | UNFCCC Summits Post Kyoto |
| | Proposed: Carbon Tax as An Alternative to Carbon Trading |
| | Carbon Tax |
| | Summits Before and after Paris Summit 2015 |
| | Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) and Major Contentions, |
| | India’s INDC objectives – Funds required to meet India’s INDC |
| | Paris Agreement – Paris 2015 (COP 21; CMP 11) |
| | Climate Neutral Now |
| | China-U.S. Deal on Emission Cuts |
| | Net Zero Emissions and Carbon Neutrality |
| | How Can Net Zero Emissions Be Achieved? – India’s Objection to Net Zero |
| | European Green New Deal |
| | UNEP Emissions Gap Report |
| | The Glasgow Climate Pact |
| | Carbon Markets |
| | COP 26 – Major Outcomes of COP26, India at COP26, |
| | COP27 – LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), Loss and Damage Fund, Methane Alert and Response System (MARS), |
| | Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) and Climate Change |
| | Carbon Border Tax, Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategy |
| | UN-REDD and REDD+ – Forest Carbon Partnership Facility |
| | Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) |
| National Environmental Legislations | Pollution Related Laws |
| | The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974 and Amendment, 1988 |
| | The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981 and amendment, 1987 |
| | Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 – Major Provisions |
| | Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) – 2016, Amendment 2020 |
| | Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972 – Delineation of Powers, NBWL |
| | Central Zoo Authority |
| | Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2022 |
| Forest Conservation and Biodiversity | Indian Forest Act 1927 (IFA, 1927) |
| | Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 (FCA, 1980) |
| | Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA 2006) |
| | Critical Wildlife Habitats (CWH) |
| | Biodiversity Act 2002 and Biological Diversity Amendment Bill 2021 |
| | National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 – Development vs Conservation |
| | Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Rules – 2011, 2019 |
| | Activities Permitted in the CRZ of Certain Beaches and Issues with the CRZ rules |
| | Rules for Hazardous Microorganisms/Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells 1989 |
| | Protection Against Chemical Disasters – Strict vs Absolute Liability Principle, Issues |
| | Pesticide Regulatory Regime in India – Pesticides Management Bill 2020, Anupam Verma Committee |
| | India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) |
| | National Solar Mission (JNNSM) |
| | National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency |
| | National Mission on Sustainable Habitat |
| | National Water Mission (NWM) Mission |
| | National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) |
| | National Mission for A Green India |
| | National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture |
| | National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC) |
| | Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT- Initiative) |
| Green Revolution & Sustainable Agricultural Practices | Green Revolution |
| | India’s First and Second Green Revolution and Green Revolution in Eastern India |
| | Evergreen Revolution |
| | The Concept of Sustainable Agriculture and Sustainable Practises for Natural Farming & Agriculture |
| | Nutrient Management – Macronutrients and Micronutrients for Plants |
| | Fertilizer Subsidies and Consequences |
| | Organic Farming – Bio – Fertilizers, Present Status and Initiatives |
| | Natural Farming – Benefits, Challenges, Zero-Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) and Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) Scheme, |
| | Organic Farming vs. Natural Farming (ZBNF) |
| | Permaculture |
| | Modern Agricultural Practices – Precision Farming, Protected Cultivation of Horticulture Crops |
| | Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) |
| | Various Agricultural Activities and Revolutions in Agriculture |
| Miscellaneous | Current Affairs |
| Energy | Sources of Energy, Renewables and Energy Conservation |
| | Conventional and Non-Conventional Sources of Energy |
| | Major Energy Sources – Cleaner Energy and Calorific Value of Various Sources of Energy |
| | Total Installed Power Capacity in India |
| | World Energy Outlook and India Energy Outlook Report 2022 |
| | Solar Energy – International Solar Alliance (ISA), One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG), Steps to Increase, Issues |
| | Wind Energy – Major Wind Farms, Offshore Wind Energy, Issues and Challenges |
| | Wind vs Solar |
| | Onshore vs Offshore |
| | Biofuel – Generation, Advantages, Disadvantages |
| | National Policy on Biofuels 2018 |
| | Hydrogen Economy – Current Status, Green Hydrogen, Hydrogen Fuel Cell, National Hydrogen Mission |
| | Challenges Faced by Renewable Energy – Smart Grid, Critical Minerals |
| | Measures to Boost Renewable Energy – IREDA, Green Bonds |
| | Energy Conservation Measures – Energy Conservation Act 2001, Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 |
| | Water Conservation – Water Scarcity, Water Stress and Water Risk, India’s Water Situation |
| | Measures by the Government – CGWB, CWC, NAMMP, Atal Jal, Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Jal Jeevan Mission, Retrieving data. Jal, Jeevan, Hariyali Mission, BIS, National Hydrology Project |
| | Recommended Conservation Measures – Clean Water Sacturies, Sponge City Concept |
| | Droughts – Concept, Drought Management (India and International) |
| Major Species and Their Conservation Status – Invasive Species | Mammals – Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU), Near Threatened (NT), Least Concern (LC) |
| | Birds – Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU), Near Threatened (NT), Least Concern (LC) |
| | Fish – Critically Endangered (CR) |
| | Others – Amphibians, Reptiles, Spiders, Insects, Plants |
| | Invasive Species – Plant, Fish and Amphibian |
| Protected Areas | National Parks of India and Major Wildlife Sanctuaries |
| | Community and Conservation Reserves |
| | Tiger Reserves of India and Proposed |
| | Elephant Reserves of India |
| | Ramsar Sites of India |
| | Biosphere Reserves – Concept, Reserves of India, Flora and Fauna |
| | Natural World Heritage Sites in India |
| | Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS) of India |
| | Tiger, Leopard, and Elephant population by state |