Endometriosis

Health

Context

A first-of-its-kind Indian study has identified 21 genetic regions linked to endometriosis, offering new clues to why some women may be more prone to the disease.

Endometriosis

Prevalence: ~10% (190 million) women of reproductive age globally.
Definition: Growth of endometrium-like tissue outside the uterus, causing inflammation and scar formation.
Symptoms: Severe menstrual pain, heavy bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, infertility, bloating and nausea.
Sites: Mainly pelvis, but may also occur in the abdomen and chest.
Other impacts: Can affect sexual intercourse, bowel movements, urination and mental health.
Cause: Unknown; linked in emerging research to immune-system dysregulation.
Treatment: No cure currently; treatment focuses on symptom control and limiting long-term effects.

Orangutan

Environment

Context

The Odisha Forest Department rescued five young orangutans after they were found abandoned in a casuarina plantation in the Udayapur-Talsari forest area of Balasore district.

Orangutan

Largest arboreal mammal; spends most of its life in trees.
Species: 3 — Bornean, Sumatran & Tapanuli orangutans.
Genetic similarity: Share about 96.4% of genes with humans; highly intelligent.
Diet: Mainly fruits (figs, mangoes, lychees), plus leaves, flowers, insects & small mammals.
Habitat: Tropical forests, especially lowland forests, river valleys & floodplains; can occur up to 1,500 m altitude.
Distribution: Found in the wild only on Borneo and Sumatra.
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered — all three species.

Anti-smog Guns

Environment

In News

The Delhi government has approved spending ₹100 crore for 1,000 truck-mounted “anti-smog” guns to be operated across the city in the winter months over three years.

Anti-smog gun

What are they? Devices that spray fine nebulised water droplets to suppress airborne dust and particulate matter.
Working: Water from a truck-mounted tank is forced through high-pressure nozzles, producing droplets of about 50–100 microns.
Effect: Water droplets bind with PM₂.₅, PM₁₀ and dust, causing particles to settle to the ground.

Applications:

Urban dust and air-pollution control.
Industrial dust suppression in mining, coal handling, grinding and stone crushing.
Mechanism: Creates a “canopy/rain effect”, bringing suspended particles down.

Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)

Governance

Context

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has taken action against food companies using “100%” claims, holding that such claims can create a misleading impression of absolute purity or complete composition.

Central Consumer Protection Authority

Legal basis: Established under Section 10 of Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Objective: Promote, protect & enforce consumer rights as a class.

Key Powers:

Investigate consumer-rights violations and initiate complaints/prosecution.

Order recall of unsafe goods/services.
Stop unfair trade practices.
Order discontinuation/modification of misleading advertisements.
Impose penalties on manufacturers, endorsers & publishers of misleading ads.

Consumer Protection Act, 2019

Replaced: Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
Came into force: July 2020.
Expanded protection against issues such as false information on quality/quantity and misleading advertisements.
Section 21: Empowers CCPA to order discontinuation or modification of false/misleading advertisements.

Sagar Manthan Vessel

Science and Technology

News

Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd launched the ‘Sagar Manthan’ vessel.

‘Sagar Manthan’ vessel

Type: Indigenous Ocean Research Vessel (ORV) being built for NCPOR.
Mission: Part of Deep Ocean Mission (DOM), under Vertical-4: Deep Ocean Survey & Exploration.
Cost: About ₹840 crore.
Commissioning: Expected by 2028, after sea trials.
Features: All-weather, multi-disciplinary research platform; speed of 14 knots; operational lifespan of about 30 years.
Significance: Strengthens India’s capacity to explore marine mineral resources such as:

Polymetallic/manganese nodules

Polymetallic sulphides

Region: Focus on the Indian Ocean Region.

Deep Ocean Mission

Launched: 2021 by the Government of India.
Objective: Sustainable exploration of deep-ocean resources and strengthening India’s Blue Economy.
Key component: Samudrayaan Project.
MATSYA 6000: India’s first manned deep-sea submersible, being developed under Samudrayaan.
Focus: Deep-sea exploration, marine resources, biodiversity and advanced ocean technologies.

Osteoarthritis

Science and Technology

In News

Scientists are developing a cell-free regenerative therapy for osteoarthritis using extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stromal cells found in menstrual blood.

Osteoarthritis

What is it? A degenerative joint disease involving breakdown of cartilage and changes in underlying bone.
Commonly affected: Knees, hips, hands and spine.
Risk factors: Age, obesity, previous joint injury, repetitive joint stress and genetic factors.
Symptoms: Joint pain, stiffness, swelling and reduced range of motion.
Nature: Usually chronic and progressive; unlike rheumatoid arthritis, it is primarily a degenerative/mechanical condition.
Management: Exercise/physiotherapy, weight management, pain relief and, in severe cases, joint replacement surgery.

Bakhira Lake

Geography

In News

Researchers have reconstructed variability in the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) based on magnetic minerals, grain size, geochemical and clay-mineral records from sediments of Bakhira Lake, Uttar Pradesh.

About

Location: Uttar Pradesh; part of the Ghaghara–Rapti alluvial system.
Formation: Perennial oxbow/floodplain wetland, formed by migration and cut-off of the Rapti River.
Ramsar Site: Designated in 2022; one of the largest wetlands of Uttar Pradesh.
Significance: Lake sediments preserve a long-term palaeoclimate record of the Central Ganga Plain.
Latest Study: Reconstructed changes in monsoon rainfall, weathering, erosion, sediment transport and lake processes.
Importance: Helps understand past monsoon variability, improve climate models, and support water-resource & agricultural planning.