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Awiqli drug

Science & technology

In News 

• Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk launched its weekly insulin shot (icodec) in India , making blood sugar control easier and more convenient for Indian diabetics.

Icodec/Awiqli drug

• Uniqueness – The world’s first once-weekly basal insulin injection.
• Developer: Engineered and manufactured by Danish multinational Novo Nordisk.
• Target Diseases: Indicated for adults with Type 2 Diabetes (and Type 1 in specific jurisdictions like India).
• Impact Metric: Drastically reduces the treatment burden from 365 daily injections to just 52 injections per year.

Additional Information – Diabetes

• Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder in which the body either does not produce enough insulin or cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
• This leads to high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood.
• Insulin: Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas.
• It helps glucose (from food) enter cells, where it is used for energy.

Types of Diabetes

• It is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system destroys insulin-producing cells. The body produces little or no insulin.
• It usually begins in childhood or adolescence.
• It requires lifelong insulin injections.

Type 2 Diabetes

• • This is the most common type of diabetes. The body doesn’t produce enough insulin.
  • It is usually linked to obesity, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet and family history.

• It can be managed with diet, exercise, oral medications, and sometimes insulin.

Gestational Diabetes: 

• This occurs during pregnancy and usually disappears after delivery, but increases the risk of type 2 diabetes later in life.

Operation Amistad

Defence

In News

• Operation Amistad has concluded successfully with the return of the Indian contingent to New Delhi.

Operation Amistad

• It is  India’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission following the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela.

Major International HADR Operations/Evacuation / Relief Operations

• India has emerged as a dependable first responder in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond, guided by the principles of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).
• India provides humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, evacuation, medical aid and reconstruction support to the global community through the joint efforts of the Army, Navy and Air Force. 
• The induction of INS Sunayna as IOS SAGAR (2025) with personnel from Indian Ocean countries is a reflection of India’s commitment towards collective maritime security, regional cooperation and capacity building.

India’s major HADR operations include

• Operation Maitri (Nepal, 2015) for rapid rescue, relief, and $2 billion commitment for reconstruction after the earthquake;
• Operation Devi Shakti (Afghanistan, 2021) for the evacuation of 669 people and humanitarian aid; 
• Mission SAGAR (2020 onwards) where the Indian Navy provided food, medical oxygen and relief materials to 15 Indian Ocean countries during the COVID-19 pandemic; and
• Operation Samudra Setu (2020) to repatriate 3,992 Indians by sea.
• Operation Ganga (Ukraine, 2022) to evacuate more than 18,000 Indian citizens during the conflict,
• Operation Dost (Türkiye and Syria, 2023) to send medical teams, field hospitals, rescue teams and more than 135 tonnes of relief material after the deadly earthquakes,
• Operation Kaveri (Sudan, 2023) to ensure the safe evacuation of Indian nationals during civil conflict
• Operation Brahma (Myanmar, 2025) to provide approximately 750 tonnes of humanitarian assistance, field hospital for  earthquake-hit Myanmar.

GI Tag to Jodhpur Mojari

Economy

Context

• The iconic Jodhpur Mojari, a handcrafted footwear tradition from Rajasthan, has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Jodhpur Mojari

• It is a leather boot known for its high craftsmanship, delicate embroidery and timeless style. 
• It is predominantly created by the Jinagar community who were traditionally engaged in saddle manufacture.

Connect with the basics – Geographical Indication or GI Tag

• It is a name or a sign given to certain products related to a specific geographical location or origins like a region, town, or country.
• A certification for unique products – GI Tag may be regarded as a certification for a particular product with certain specific qualities or has a specific reputation because of its geographical origin.
• GI Tags can be issued for wine and spirit drinks, foodstuffs, agricultural products, handicrafts, and industrial products.
• Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) – At the International level, GI is governed by the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO’s) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). 
• Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act – In India, Geographical Indications registration is administered by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into force in September 2003. 
• Darjeeling tea  – The first product in India to be accorded with the GI tag was Darjeeling tea in 2004-05.

GI tags of 2026

India’s First Hydrogen Train

Science and Tech

Context

• Indian Railways has notified India’s first hydrogen-powered train, which is expected to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17 July. 

India’s first hydrogen-powered train

• Launch Date: Scheduled for July 17, 2026.
• Route: Jind to Sonipat (89 km) in Haryana.
• Global Status: Puts India in an elite club (with Germany, Sweden, China, US, Japan).
• Maker: Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, under RDSO supervision.
• Specs: 10-car Broad Gauge trainset (longest broad-gauge hydrogen train globally).
• Speed & Power: Max speed 75 kmph; capacity of 2400 kW.
• Fuel Station: Dedicated 3,000-kg storage and refueling hub set up at Jind.

Ken-Betwa River Linking Project

Economy

Context

• Residents of several villages who are being impacted by the Ken-Betwa river linking project, have restarted their agitation over their demands of better compensation and rehabilitation.

Ken-Betwa Link Project 

• It is a project proposed to transfer excess water from the River Ken to the Betwa basin through the use of a concrete canal. 
• Objective – to provide irrigation to the Bundelkhand region of UP, which is one of the worst drought-affected areas in India.
• Beneficiary states –  Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
• Significance – It will meet the irrigation purposes, drinking water, and electricity needs of 6 districts in both states.
• Biodiversity Concerns – Nearly 8,650 hectares of forest land including part of Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh will be submerged if the project were to become a reality.

Conservation Projects for River Dolphins & Snow Leopards 

Environment

Context

• The governing body of the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) gave the nod to four new conservation projects for river dolphins, snow leopards, wild water buffalo, and Indian rhinoceros along with continued support for the conservation of Manipur’s brow-antlered deer, Sangai.

Snow Leopard

• Scientific name – Panthera uncia
• Habitats – The Snow Leopard lives at high altitudes in the steep mountains of Central and Southern Asia, and in an extremely cold climate.
• Range states – Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim
• Ghost of the mountains – The Snow Leopard is also known as Ghost of the mountains 
• Bio indicator – It acts as an indicator of the health of the mountain ecosystem
• Snow Leopard capital of the world – Hemis, Ladakh.
• International Snow Leopard Day – It is observed on 23rd October.

Conservation status  

• IUCN Red List- Vulnerable
• CITES convention – Appendix I
• Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972– Schedule I

Conservation Efforts Launched by India

1. Project Snow Leopard (PSL) 

• Launched in  – 2009 
• Objective – To promote an inclusive and participatory approach to conserve snow leopards and their habitat.

1. Species recovery programme – Snow Leopard is in the list of 21 critically endangered species for the recovery programme of the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change.
2. Snow Leopard conservation breeding programme – It is undertaken at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling, West Bengal.
3. HimalSanrakshak – It is a community volunteer programme, to protect snow leopards, launched on 23rd October 2020.
4. First National Protocol –  was also launched In 2019.
5. SECURE Himalaya – Global Environment Facility (GEF) , United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funded the project on conservation of high altitude biodiversity and reducing the dependency of local communities on the natural ecosystem.

International Conservation Efforts

• SNOW LEOPARD ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION PROGRAM – It seeks to address high-mountain development issues using the conservation of the endangered snow leopard as a flagship program.
• Bishkek Declaration – In 2013, the 12 snow leopard range countries signed and agreed to secure at least 20 snow leopard landscapes across by 2020 
• International Year of the Snow Leopard – Year ‘2015’ was designated as International Year of the Snow Leopard 

Recent Census – 

• The exercise reported 718 snow leopards in India
• It was conducted from 2019 to 2023.
• Conducted by – The program was conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) with the help of all snow leopard range states and two conservation partners – the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru (Karnataka), and WWF (World Wildlife Fund)-India. 
• Based on data analysis, the estimated population of 718 snow leopards in different states/UTs are as follows – Ladakh (477), Uttarakhand (124), Himachal Pradesh (51), Arunachal Pradesh (36), Sikkim (21), and J & K (9).

Wild Water Buffalo (Bubalus Arnee)

• It is also called Asiatic buffalo.
• It is a large bovine native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
• Habitat: The wild water buffalo occurs in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, and Cambodia. 
• Indian distribution – Kaziranga, Manas and Dibru-Saikhowa National Parks, Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary and Bura Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary and in a few scattered pockets in Assam,
• IUCN status: Endangered.

Indian rhinoceros (Greater One-Horned Rhino)

• Scientific name – Rhinocerotidae
• Habitats – Rhinos’ habitats include tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas and shrublands, tropical moist forests, deserts and shrublands.
• In India, it is found in Assam – Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Pobitora Reserve Forest, Orang National Park, and Laokhowa Reserve Forest.
• Three species of rhino – There are three species of rhino in Asia — Greater one-horned, Javan, and Sumatran.
• Rhino range countries – India, Nepal, Bhutan, Indonesia, and Malaysia. These countries are also known as Asian Rhino Range Countries.
• Great one-horned rhino –  The Indian state of Assam is home to the largest population of greater-one horned rhinos, with more than 90% in Kaziranga National Park.
• World Rhino Day – It is celebrated on September 22nd of every year.

Conservation status 

• IUCN – Vulnerable
• Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 – Schedule I

River Dolphins

• India is home to two species of freshwater dolphins: Ganges (Platanista gangetica) and Indus (Platanista minor).

Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista Gangetica)

Characteristics

• Functionally blind; relies on echolocation for hunting.

• Known as Susu due to the sound it makes while breathing.

• Exclusively freshwater species, inhabiting Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
• Threats: Habitat destruction, pollution and hunting. 

conservation Status

• Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
• CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species): Appendix I
• CMS (Convention on Migratory Species): Appendix I
• IUCN Red List: Endangered

National & State Recognition

• Declared India’s National Aquatic Animal in 2009.

• Recognized as the State Aquatic Animal of Assam.

Indus River Dolphin (Platanista minor)

Characteristics:

• Functionally blind, navigates using echolocation.

• Locally called Bhulan in the region.

• Found mainly in the Indus River System (Pakistan) with a small population in India’s Beas River.
• Threats: Habitat fragmentation, Restricted range, leading to population isolation.

Conservation Status:

• • Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered.

• State Recognition:Declared the State Aquatic Animal of Punjab.

Do You Know?

• • One more species of Dolphin i.e. Irrawaddy dolphin found in India in Chilika Lake (Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon) in Odisha.
  • Unlike the other two species, Irrawaddy dolphins are not blind and have a bulbous head with no beak.

• IUCN Red List Conservation status: Critically Endangered.

Brow-antlered deer

• The Sangai, also known as the Manipur brow-antlered deer.
• It is a deer species found exclusively in Manipur, within the Keibul Lamjao National Park, India. 
• It serves as the official state animal of Manipur and is famously nicknamed the “dancing deer” due to its unique, delicate gait over its marshy habitat.

India-Australia Relations

International

News – 

• The Indian Prime Minister participated in the 3rd India-Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne.

Outcomes

• India-Australia Civil Nuclear Agreement: Operationalises Civil Nuclear Agreement signed in 2014, enabling supply of uranium from Australia for peaceful purposes under IAEA safeguards.
• Australia-India Partnership for Cyber, Critical Technologies, Supply Chains (PACTS): Builds on 2020 Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation.

India-Australia Relations

• • Strategic: Upgraded bilateral relationship from ‘Strategic Partnership’ in 2009 to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2020.
  • Civil Nuclear Cooperation: Australian Parliament passed Civil Nuclear Transfer to India Bill 2016 allowing Uranium mining companies to supply Australian uranium to India for civil use.
  • Economic Cooperation: India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (Ind-Aus ECTA) was signed in 2022, Negotiations are underway for Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
  • Bilateral Trade: Stood at USD 24.1 billion in 2024-25.
  • Exports From India: India is Australia’s fifth largest trading partner; 4th largest source of refined petroleum.
  • Multilateral Cooperation: Quad partnership; cooperation under Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), etc.

• Military Exercises: AUSINDEX, AUSTRAHIND, MALABAR exercises, etc.

Additional Information – International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

• • It was established in 1957 as the world’s “Atoms for Peace” organisation within the UN.
  • It serves as the UN’s nuclear watchdog, promoting peaceful atomic energy use while verifying safeguards against proliferation.
  • Headquartered in Vienna, the body got the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize for non-proliferation efforts.
• The IAEA has 178 member states, India being one of the founding members of it.

Super Typhoon Bavi

Geography

News- 

• Super Typhoon Bavi affected the U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as Ryukyu Islands of Japan and China, in the western North Pacific Ocean.

Typhoon Bavi 

• It was the 3rd tropical cyclone in 2026
• Origin: Western North Pacific Ocean.
• Typhoon Bavi is named by Vietnam.
• Intensity: Peak sustained winds of 290 km/h (Category 5) 
• Impact Areas: Guam, Rota, Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, and Southeastern China Climate Driver: Fueled by a strong El Niño phase causing warmer ocean waters.

Tropical Cyclones (Connect with the basics – Cyclone)

• • They are violent storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and move over to the coastal areas bringing about large-scale destruction caused by violent winds, very heavy rainfall and storm surges.
  • Wind Direction – The winds blow counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • Different Names –  Tropical Cyclones are known by different names in different regions

• Cyclones in the Indian Ocean

• Hurricanes in Atlantic

• Typhoons in the Western Pacific & South China Sea

• Willy-Willies in Western Australia.

• Conditions – The conditions favorable for the formation and intensification of tropical cyclones are:
  • Large sea surface with a temperature higher than 27°C.
  • Presence of Coriolis force.
  • Small variations in the vertical wind speed.
  • A pre-existing weak-low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation.
  • Upper divergence above the sea level system.

Global Passport Index 2026

Report

News- 

• The sixth annual Global Passport Index released by Global Citizen Solutions (GCS).

Objective- 

• It assesses passports of 197 countries across three weighted pillars – Enhanced Mobility (50%), Investment (25%), and Quality of Living (25%), using 14 different indicators.

Key Findings

• Nine of the world’s top 10 strongest passports belong to European countries. Sweden ranks first, followed by Switzerland and Finland.
• India ranks 125th, slipping one place from 124th in the previous edition.
• Indian passport holders currently enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 26 destinations.

Astra Mk 1 Missiles

Science & Technology

News- 

• India and Indonesia signed a deal for the export of Astra Mk 1, marking India’s first-ever export of the Astra missile family.

Astra Mk 1

• Developed by – Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
• Type – It is a family of indigenous Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missiles (BVRAAMs)  that will be integrated with the Air Force and the Navy.
• Range – 20 nautical miles, or 37 km.

Astra Variants:

• Astra Mk 1: It has a range of 80 to 110 km, an altitude capability of up to 20 km, and a speed of Mach 4.5. It is integrated with the Su-30 MKI and planned for the Tejas Mk 1A and Rafale jets.
• Astra Mk 2: Advanced variant with enhanced range of 200 km.
• Astra Mk 3 (Gandiva): India’s most advanced BVRAAM, potential range exceeding 350 km.

Uttarakhand Declared “Fully Literate” State

Government Schemes

News – 

• Uttarakhand became India’s sixth fully literate state under the ULLAS initiative, crossing a literacy rate of 98%.

About – 

• Ladakh (2024) was the first UT to achieve full functional literacy.
• Mizoram (2025) was the first fully literate state, followed by Goa, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim.
• A state or UT is declared fully literate on reaching at least 95% literacy among those aged 15 and above.

ULLAS

• Full form – Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society 

• Financing – It is a centrally sponsored scheme 

• Launched by – Ministry of Education (2022–2027) 
• Objective – to educate adults aged 15+ who missed formal schooling.
• It aligns with NEP 2020 and is based on the spirit of Kartavya Bodh (sense of duty) and Jan Jan Saakshar Bharat (Every Citizen Literate).
• Key pillars: Foundational literacy, life skills, education, vocational skills, and continuing learning.

Global Status Report on Cancer 2026

Report

News- 

• WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) jointly released the Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, alongside the first-ever global survey of people affected by cancer.

Key Findings of the Report

• Cancer ranks as the second-leading cause of death globally after cardiovascular disease, claiming over 26,000 lives daily, with 20.6 million new cases and ~10 million deaths recorded in 2024.
• Lung cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed and deadliest global malignancy, followed by breast and colorectal cancers.