SNIPPETS 07 MAY 2026

World Migration Report 2026: International Organisation for Migration released the World Migration Report 2026+ Global Migration: ~304 million people were living outside their country of birth in 2024, accounting for 3.7% of the global population, up from 2.9% in 1990+ Indian migrants in UAE were over 3 million while Indians in US were around 3.2 million (second-largest after Mexicans)+ India had a higher share of female immigrants than male immigrants+ Male Emigration from India: Largely due to labour migration to Gulf etc.

Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary: A study revealed presence of microplastics and toxic heavy metals across sampled sites in Odisha’s Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS)+ Location: Kendrapara district, Odisha+ Formed by the estuarine delta of the Brahmani, Baitarani, and Mahanadi rivers+ Ecosystem: India’s second-largest mangrove ecosystem, second only to the Sundarbans in West Bengal.

Electronic Gold Receipts (EGRs): They are dematerialised securities that represent ownership of physical gold, which is stored in SEBI’s accredited vaults and held electronically through depositories+ Each EGR is fully backed by physical gold with assured quality and can be traded on exchange, integrating gold into financial system+ They can be redeemed anytime in exchange of gold, unlike Gold ETF (cash settlement)+ Regulated by: Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI)+ Asset Class: Securities under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act (SCRA), 1956