Why in News?

• The Ministry of Power notified new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) norms for passenger vehicles on 30 September 2026.
• They apply from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2032 and replace the existing norms.
• The aim is about 16.7% better fuel efficiency over five years.

Key Provisions

• CAFE norms set a fleet-average fuel consumption target for each manufacturer, not a target for each model.
• They apply to new passenger vehicles manufactured or imported for sale in India.
• Benchmark: Tightened from 3.996 litres/100 km (2027-28) to 3.3273 litres/100 km (2031-32).
• Carbon Neutrality Factor (CNF): Recognises ethanol-blended petrol, biofuels and CBG.
• Fuel-saving technologies: Recognised list expanded from four to twelve, with 1 g CO₂/km per technology, up to 9.0 g CO₂/km.
• Flexibility: Two- or three-year compliance blocks, credit carry-forward, trading and a buyout mechanism run by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
• BEE is a statutory body under the Ministry of Power, set up under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.

Why in News?

• The Ministry of Mines will launch the auction of two offshore mineral blocks in the Andaman Sea on 1 October 2026 under a Composite Licence, to promote exploration, private investment and mineral security.

Core Facts

• Legal basis: The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002 (OAMDR Act) and the Offshore Areas Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2024.
• 2023 amendment: The OAMDR Amendment Act, 2023 empowered the Ministry of Mines to auction offshore blocks transparently and competitively.
• Composite Licence: Covers both exploration (prospecting) and mining.

Static Linkage

• Maritime zones: Territorial waters extend up to 12 nautical miles, while the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends up to 200 nautical miles under UNCLOS.
• Offshore minerals: Include polymetallic nodules, sulphides, cobalt-rich crusts, sand and lime mud.
• International seabed: Resources beyond national jurisdiction are regulated by the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
• Andaman Sea: Lies east of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and connects with the Bay of Bengal.

About Andaman & Nicobar Islands

• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a Union Territory in the Bay of Bengal, made up of about 570 islands (counts vary), of which only a few dozen are inhabited.
• Capital: Port Blair, renamed Sri Vijaya Puram in 2024.
• They form a chain stretching north to south between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.
• Two groups: Andaman Islands in the north and Nicobar Islands in the south, separated by the Ten Degree Channel.
• Southernmost point of India: Indira Point on Great Nicobar, close to Sumatra (Indonesia).
• Highest peak: Saddle Peak (about 737 m) in North Andaman.
• Volcanoes: Barren Island is India’s only active volcano, and Narcondam is a dormant volcanic island.
• Governance: Administered by a Lieutenant Governor under Article 239, with no legislature of its own.
• Tribes: Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa and Sentinelese (Andaman) and Shompen (Great Nicobar) are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). The Nicobarese are a Scheduled Tribe.

Channels and Passages