Author: instakas

India’s First Water Neutral Coaching Depot

Miscellaneous

In News

• The Kankaria Coaching Depot in Ahmedabad has become India’s first water-neutral railway depot by adopting innovative wastewater treatment and reuse systems.

Kankaria Coaching Depot : India’s first water-neutral railway depot

• It saves around 60 lakh litres of water daily and about 5.84 crore litres annually, reducing dependence on freshwater.
• It uses phytoremediation, where plants help purify wastewater, followed by wetland treatment, carbon and sand filtration.
• The water is further cleaned using filtration and UV disinfection, making it safe for reuse in operations instead of being discharged.
• Importance – It reduces water consumption and operational costs while promoting environmental sustainability, serving as a model for greener and more efficient railway infrastructure in India.

Connect with the basics – Phytoremediation

• It is a process in which plants are used to clean contaminated soil, water, or groundwater by absorbing or breaking down pollutants like metals, pesticides, explosives, and oil.
• It works best in areas with low contamination, as high pollution levels can slow plant growth.

State of India’s Bats, 2024-25 Report

Environment

Context

• The first-ever national assessment titled “State of India’s Bats, 2024–25” has been released by the Nature Conservation Foundation, in collaboration with Bat Conservation International, World Wide Fund for Nature, and the Centre for Wildlife Studies, highlighting the status, diversity, and threats to bats in India.

Key Findings

• Geographical Distribution: India hosts around 135 bat species.
• West Bengal leads with 68 bat species, followed by 66 in Meghalaya, 52 in Uttarakhand 41 each in Kerala and Karnataka and 43 in Sikkim, denoting diversity.
• Among cities, Delhi had 15 bat species, despite pressures of urbanisation.

Endemism & Threat Status:

• 16 species are endemic to India
• 7 species are listed as threatened by the IUCN
• 35 species are either Data Deficient or not assessed
• Major Threats: Urbanisation, deforestation, land-use change and climate change impacts.

Key Facts about Bats

• Bats are mammals belonging to the order Chiroptera and are the only mammals capable of sustained powered flight, with wings made of stretched skin over elongated finger bones.
• There are over 1,400 species of bats worldwide.
• They inhabit almost every continent except Antarctica, thriving mainly in tropical regions.
• Bats are crucial for ecosystems as pollinators for many plants, agents of seed dispersal, and natural controllers of insect populations, including agricultural pests.
• Most bats use echolocation—high-frequency sound waves—for navigation and hunting in the dark, a unique adaptation that allows them to exploit nocturnal ecological niches effectively.
• Unlike birds, bats cannot take off from the ground easily; they hang upside down to launch into flight.
• They rest during daytime, often in caves or hollow trees, forming colonies that can range widely in size.
• The Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) is among the largest bats in India and a critical species for pollination and ecosystem health.
• Bats are known reservoirs of numerous viruses, including coronaviruses, Nipah virus, and Ebola, yet they exhibit remarkable immunity and longevity which is a subject of scientific research.

Kerala Botanist’s Innovation in Tackling Invasive Species

Environment

Context

• Alim Yusuf, a botanist from Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute for Plant Sciences, has received the World Wide Fund for Nature National Award for developing an application to detect invasive plant species in Kerala.

About the Innovation

• The application, Neophyte ID, is an AI-powered mobile tool that enables users to identify invasive plant species by capturing images.
• The app can identify nearly 100 invasive plant species found in Kerala.
• It integrates geospatial tracking to map the spread of invasive species, aiding scientific research and policy intervention.

Connect with the basics – Definition:

• Definition – Invasive species are non-native organisms (animals, plants, fungi, microbes) that establish self-sustaining populations and cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health.
• Impacts – They contribute to biodiversity loss, ecological disruption, and can lead to significant economic losses in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.
• Causes – Globalization (increased trade and travel), human activities, and climate change facilitate their spread and establishment.
• Indian Context – India has several widespread invasive species, including plants like Lantana camara and Water Hyacinth, and animals such as the African Catfish and Nile Tilapia.

Shahtoosh Wool

Environment

Context

• A Delhi court has convicted a Jaipur-based art gallery owner for attempting to illegally export Shahtoosh shawls.

Shahtoosh Wool

• It is derived from the hair of the Tibetan Antelope, also known as Chiru.
• The animal is killed to obtain the wool.
• Trade in Shahtoosh is strictly prohibited in India and has also been banned globally.

Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii)

• The Chiru is a medium-sized bovid endemic to the high-altitude alpine steppes of the Tibetan Plateau (3,250–5,500m).
• Habitat: They inhabit the arid, cold grasslands of Tibet, Qinghai, and Xinjiang in China, with a small population in Ladakh (Changthang belt), India.
• Appearance: They have a pale fawn to a reddish-brown coat with a white belly.
• Males have black markings on their faces and legs, which are absent in females.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List – Near Threatened (NT)
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – Schedule I
• CITES convention – Appendix I

Operation Numkhor

Miscellaneous

Context

• Operation Numkhor, a nationwide crackdown on vehicle smuggling and forged registration rackets, is likely to be discussed in the upcoming Indo–Bhutan Joint Customs Group meeting.

Operation Numkhor

• Launched by – Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi in September 2025.
• Mandate – to uncover a widespread racket involving the smuggling of high-end luxury vehicles from Bhutan.
• The operation revealed over 15,000 illegally registered vehicles across India, bypassing heavy customs duties and involving the use of forged documents

Indian Space Situational Awareness Report 2025 (ISSAR-2025)

Science & Technology

Context

• Recently, the Indian Space Situational Awareness Report for 2025 (ISSAR-2025) was released by ISRO during the inaugural session of the 2nd international conference on Spacecraft Mission Operations (SMOPS-2026) at Bengaluru.

Key Global and Indian Statistics for 2025

• Global Activity – 2025 saw a record 315 successful launches deploying 4,198 satellites.
• Indian Scenario: India recorded 5 launches, including the 100th mission (GSLV-F15/NVS-02). Notable achievements included the NISAR joint mission, the SpaDeX autonomous docking test, and continued operations of Aditya-L1.
• Safety & Exploration: ISRO launched NISAR, and is advancing its Debris Free Space Mission (DFSM) 2030.
• Human spaceflight progress was marked by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s command of the Axiom-4 mission.

Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

Environment

Context

• The European Commission has proposed expanding the scope of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to include around 180 additional products from January 1, 2028.

Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

• It is a carbon tariff on carbon intensive products, such as cement and some electricity, imported by the European Union.
• Significance – As a price on carbon, it discourages emissions. As a trade-related measure, it affects production and exports.

Marine Heatwaves

Geography

Context

• Tropical cyclones passing over marine heatwaves (MHWs) cause 60% more billion-dollar disasters through rapid intensification, warns a new study.

Marine Heatwaves

• It is a prolonged period of anomalously high ocean surface temperatures in a specific region.

They are characterised by two key parameters:

• Duration: Lasting anywhere from several days to several months.
• Intensity: Measured as a deviation from the long-term seasonal average, known as a temperature anomaly.

Key Drivers

• Climate Change: Oceans absorb 90%+ of excess atmospheric heat, raising baseline temperatures
• Ocean Currents: Warm water pools shift into cooler regions.
• Atmospheric Systems: High-pressure systems like the North Pacific High trap surface heat
• El Niño:  Elevates Pacific sea surface temperatures, triggering the largest recorded MHWs.

Memory Price Inflation (Memflation)

Economy

In News

• Gartner’s 2026 global semiconductor revenue forecast of $1.3 trillion cited memflation as a key driver of the industry’s third consecutive year of double-digit growth.

Memflation

• Inflation refers to a general rise in the overall prices of goods and services in an economy over time.
• Memflation refers to a structural economic trend where prices of semiconductor memory rise rapidly and persistently over time.

Amazon Rainforests

Environment

Context

• A recent study shows that consecutive droughts in 2023–2024 pushed Amazon rainforest moisture and biomass to their lowest levels in over three decades, indicating severe ecological stress.

Amazon Rain Forests

• Location: The region belongs to nine nations of the South American continent.
• Surrounded by – It is bounded by the Guiana Highlands to the north, the Andes Mountains to the west, the Brazilian central plateau to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
• Area Covered: The majority of the forest, 60%, is in Brazil, followed by Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, and with minor amounts in Bolivia,Ecuador,French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.
• Climate: Hot and humid climate with temperatures of 26-30°C throughout the year.There are no periodic seasons.The precipitation ranges from 2,000 mm to 10,920 mm annually.
• Tribes: Yanomamo,Kayapo,Akuntsu,Matses,Tupi etc.
• Fauna: Anaconda,Jesus lizard,howler monkey, golden lion tamarin, jaguar,sloth, spider monkey,Amazon River dolphin,toucan and the scarlet macaw,poison dart frog and the glass frog.
• Flora: Moist broadleaf tropical rainforest like myrtle,laurel,palm, acacia,rosewood,Brazil nut,rubber tree, mahogany and Amazonian cedar.

Significance of the Rainforests

• Lungs of the planet: Rainforests generate about 20% of the world’s oxygen and its trees play a key role in reducing pollutant levels.
• Fight climate change: They act as a crucial buffer in the global fight against climate change as it holds tremendous capacity to store carbon.
• Medicinal Properties: Many of these plants contain bioactive compounds capable of treatmenting diseases that are not yet curable, especially cancer.

Threat to the forests

• Climate Change: Due to climate change the forests are witnessing various challenges like changes in rainfall patterns,pollution etc.
• Deforestation: The size of the Amazon forest shrank dramatically as a result of settlers’ clearance of the land to obtain lumber and to create grazing pastures and farmland.
• Wildfires: It causes threat to the survival of ecosystems and biodiversity. The 2019 forest fires in the region have led to widespread devastation in the region.

Additional Information – Amazon River

• It is the largest river by volume of water and second longest river after the Nile river of Africa in the world.
• Source:River has its source in the Peruvian Andes, at an elevation of 5,598 m.
• Length:6400 km.
• Basin:The basin includes the greater part of Brazil and Peru,some parts of Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia and a small area of Venezuela.
• Tributaries:Japurá , Juruá, Madeira, Negro, Purus, and Xingu rivers.
• Mouth:Atlantic Ocean on the northeastern coast of Brazil.

Ghaggar River

Geography

In News

• Villages near the Ghaggar River report rising cancer cases linked to polluted water, but lack of data and poor healthcare hinder action.

Ghaggar River in northern India

• The Ghaggar River is an intermittent, monsoon-fed river in northern India.
• It originates in the village of Dagshai in the Shivalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh at about 1,927 metres elevation and flows through Punjab and Haryana into Rajasthan.
• Its main tributaries include the Kaushalya, Markanda, Sarsuti, Tangri, and Chautang rivers.

Andaman Sea

Geography

In News

• A boat carrying Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals from Bangladesh to Malaysia capsized in the Andaman Sea.

Andaman Sea

• The Andaman Sea is a marginal sea in the northeastern Indian Ocean.
• It is bordered by Myanmar to the north and east, Thailand and Malaysia to the east, Indonesia to the south, and India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the west.
• It connects to the South China Sea through the Strait of Malacca and serves as an important international shipping route, especially between India and China.

Additional Information – Rohingya Crisis

• Rohingya – They are an ethnic group largely comprising Muslims who predominantly live in the Western Myanmar province of Rakhin
• In Myanmar, they are classified as illegal migrants and foreigners residents.

Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

• It is also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention.
• It is a United Nations multilateral treaty which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom.
• India’s membership – India is not a signatory to this Convention.

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) 

• Adopted in – It is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations in 1966.
• The covenant commits its parties to respect the civil and political rights of individuals including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, electoral rights and rights to due process and a fair trial.

India’s Stand on Rohingyas

• Operation Insaniyat: In 2017, India launched “Operation Insaniyat” to provide relief assistance for the refugee camps in Bangladesh.

AZEC Plus and Maritime Security

International Relations

Context

• India, raised concerns over disruptions in maritime energy routes at the AZEC Plus meeting, amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint.

Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC)

• It is a Japan-led initiative launched in 2023
• Objective – to promote decarbonisation, clean energy transition, and energy security in Asia.
• It provides an alternative, Asia-centric model of energy transition, recognising diverse developmental needs of Asian economies.

AZEC focuses on:

• Facilitating technology transfer in clean energy (hydrogen, ammonia, renewables).
• Supporting carbon neutrality goals while maintaining economic growth.
• Strengthening energy supply chain resilience in the region.
• AZEC Plus is an expanded framework that includes more Asian countries and global institutions such as Asian Development Bank and International Energy Agency.
• It addresses emerging challenges like supply disruptions, critical mineral access, and maritime security.

India’s New Deportation Policy

Governance

In News

• Recently, the new deportation policy was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Deportation

• It  is a formal legal process where foreigners suspected of staying illegally in India are detained, tried in court, and deported only after all legal steps are completed and their identity is confirmed with their home country.
• Under the Citizenship Act, 1955, an “illegal migrant” is defined as a foreigner who either entered India without valid travel documents, or entered legally but remained beyond the permitted period.

Key Features of the New Policy

• 30-Day Verification Deadline: States/UTs must identify and verify the credentials of illegal migrants within 30 days, triggering automatic deportation upon failure to meet the deadline.
• District-Level Special Task Forces (STFs): Newly established district-level police units are dedicated to identifying and holding undocumented migrants, often in designated, fenced centres.
• Biometric & Data Tracking: Mandatory digitization of biometric data via the Foreigners’ Identification Portal (FIP) is enforced for tracking, with data shared between UIDAI (Aadhaar), the Election Commission of India, and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to prevent identity fraud. 

Statutory Changes (Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025)

• • The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, active from September 1, 2025, replaces colonial-era laws, including the 1946 Foreigners Act. 
  • Expanded Authority: The Bureau of Immigration receives statutory status, granting officials greater powers to deny entry based on “adverse security reports”.

• Stricter Penalties: Penalties for illegal entry increase to up to 5 years of imprisonment and fines up to ₹5 lakh.
• Exemptions: Aligned with the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, spares specific religious minority groups from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered before 2025.

BRICS and Quad Groupings

International Relations

In News

• India is going to host major diplomatic meetings including the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting and the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

BRICS

• Founded in – 2009
• HeadQuarters – Shanghai
• It is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (included in 2010)
• Origin – The term “BRIC” was coined by the British Economist Jim O’Neill in 2001 to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
• Recent Expansion (BRICS+): In 2024–2025, the bloc expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia. Saudi Arabia has received an invitation but has not yet formalized its membership.
• Share of BRICS – BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries, representing 41% of the global population, 24% of the global GDP, and 16% of the global trade (By 2028, BRICS is expected to make up 35 percent of the global economy)
• Chairmanship – The chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members.

Initiatives of BRICS

1. New Development Bank (NDB)
2. Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA)
3. BRICS Payment System
4. Customs Agreements
5. Constellation of Remote Sensing Satellites

New Initiative

• BRICS is planning to launch its own “new currency” system, a major step towards de-dollarization (reducing dependence on the US dollar for trade).

India’s 2026 Presidency

• India assumed the BRICS Presidency on January 1, 2026, taking over from Brazil.
• 18th Summit: India is set to host the 18th BRICS Summit in 2026.
• Theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability”.
• Key Pillars: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Environmental Sustainability

Cancer-Fighting Herbs of Konyak Naga Tribe

Health

Context

• A recent study by Nagaland University has identified the anti-cancer potential of traditional herbal medicine used by the Konyak Naga tribe.

Konyak Naga Tribe

• Habited in – It is one of the largest Naga tribes of Nagaland, inhabits mainly the Mon district of Nagaland.
• Konyaks were historically known for the practice of headhunting, which was linked to warrior status and prestige.
• The traditional political system is headed by hereditary chiefs known as Angh
• Konyak language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman language family.
• The primary occupation is jhum (shifting cultivation).
• Major festival: Aoleang Festival, celebrated in April to mark the New Year and sowing season.

Glufosinate

Science and Technology

In News

• The government has imposed a six-month restriction on imports of glufosinate and its salts, a herbicide used in farming.

Glufosinate-ammonium

• It is a herbicide used to control a broad range of weeds.
• It is highly water-soluble and has low potential to leach into groundwater.
• It is considered highly hazardous, with risks including neurotoxicity, reproductive harm, cardiovascular effects, and fetal damage
• Its volatile nature exposes farmers and nearby populations through inhalation and skin contact.