Occurrences of Coral Reefs in India The major reef formations in India are restricted to the Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kachchh, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. Scattered coral growth has also been reported along certain inter-tidal belts and submerged banks both on the east and west coasts of the country. The reefs at present are important to the local community only to the extent of sustenance fishing. Tourism is being developed at some places though local communities do not benefit much from the revenue generated. The health of corals, as deduced from the literature records since 60s has been on steady decline mainly due to stress from anthropogenic pressures and interference.

Scientists have found widespread uranium contamination in groundwater from aquifers across 16 states in India, much above the WHO provisional standard for the country. The findings published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters are the first to demonstrate the predominant prevalence of uranium in India's groundwater.

The WHO has set a provisional safe drinking water standard of 30 micrograms of uranium per litre for India, a level that is consistent with US Environmental Protection Agency standards. Despite this, uranium is not yet included in the list of contaminants monitored under the Bureau of Indian Standards' Drinking Water Specifications.

While the primary source of uranium is geogenic (naturally occurring), anthropogenic (human caused) factors such as groundwater table decline and nitrate pollution may further enhance uranium mobilisation. Using geochemical and uranium isotope data, it suggests factors that may drive high uranium concentrations in groundwater, including uranium content in aquifer rocks, oxidation state, and groundwater chemistry that promotes the formation of soluble uranyl carbonate complexes.

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UN Additional Convention Against Torture (CAT):

• Nearly all 112 countries at the 5-yearly review of India's record called for India to ratify the UN Additional Convention Against Torture (CAT).
• India is one of only nine countries which haven't yet implemented the Torture convention, despite signing on to it in 1997.
• In 2012, India had also given a unilateral pledge to ratify CAT, but has yet to move forward on it, despite a Supreme Court directive in the matter.
• The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (commonly known as the United Nations Convention against Torture) is an international human rights treaty, under the review of the United Nations that aims to prevent torture and other acts of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment around the world.

Over the years there has been vast improvement in the human development indicators pertaining to Scheduled Tribes (STs), for example, literacy rate for STs has improved from 47.1% in 2001 to 59% in 2011. Infant Mortality Rate has declined from 62.1 (2005-06) to 44.4 (2015-16), Under Five Mortality Rate has declined from 95.7 (2005-06) to 57.2 (2015-16), and Institutional Delivery has increased from 17.7% in 2005-06 to 68.0% in 2015-16.

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