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1. Environmental Performance Index

The 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) was released recently, ranking 180 countries on 40 performance indicators in 11 issue categories of climate change performance, ecosystem vitality and environmental health.

Key Facts

In the index, India has been ranked at 180th position, bottom of the 2022 Index.

India has scored the lowest among 180 countries.

The index measured the environmental performance of all the 180 countries.

India’s score

In the Index, India scored 18.9 and has been ranked last. In last decade, performance of India has decreased by 0.6 scores. Three primary categories in which countries were given scores are ecosystem vitality, environmental health and climate change performance. India scored 19.3 on the ecosystem vitality of the index. It scored 12.5 on health, which means poor air quality, poor drinking water and poor sanitation. India’s waste management with respect to solid wastes, ocean plastics, and recycling is also poor.

Presidents election The Election Commission of India has announced the date and details of the Presidential Elections 2022. The candidate must be a citizen of India and should have completed the age of 35 years, besides being qualified for election as a member of the House of the People. The Election Commission of India has scheduled the date for the 16th Presidential election on July 18 and the counting of votes would be held on July 21, if needed. A total of 4,809 electors comprising MPs and MLAs will vote to elect Ram Nath Kovind's successor. Kovind’s tenure will be ending on July 24 following which the new President will be sworn in on July 25. 

Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)

The IWT was signed by the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the then Pakistani President Ayub Khan. Brokered by the World Bank (then known as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development), the negotiations for the agreement went on for nine years.

Ever since the partition of India in 1947, the Indus River had been a bone of contention between the four countries through which it runs – India, Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan. The river originates from Tibet.

India had blocked water to Pakistan for some time in 1948 but later restored it after the ceasefire. In 1951, Pakistan took the matter to the United Nations (UN) and accused India of cutting the supply of water to many Pakistani villages.

On the recommendations of the UN, the World Bank came up with this agreement in 1954. It was eventually signed on September 19, 1960.