Bengaluru City likely to get Namo Bharat trains to boost regional connectivity
Namo Bharat
It is India’s first semi-high-speed regional rail service (previously known as RapidX) designed for fast, comfortable, and efficient inter-city travel within the National Capital Region (NCR) and other urban areas.
It is currently India’s fastest operational train, running at a top speed of 160 km/h on dedicated corridors
It marked the launch of India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System service, initially branded RapidX and introduced to the public as Namo Bharat at launch.
State inks pact with GAIL to generate gas from wet waste
News –
The Karnataka government has signed an agreement with Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) to generate gas from wet waste in Bengaluru.
This will help reduce the problem of waste in Bengaluru,and that the gas will be distributed to industries and hotels.
The types of waste generated and managed in Bangalore include:
Organic Waste – Kitchen waste such as food leftovers, vegetable peels, fruit waste, tea/coffee grounds, eggshells, garden pruning and green waste.
Non-Organic (Dry) Waste – Recyclable solid waste like plastics (bags, bottles, containers), metals (utensils, wires, batteries), glass (bottles/cups), paper (newspapers, cardboard), and wood.
Hazardous Waste – Items such as insect sprays, chemicals, medical waste (syringes, bio-medical waste), e-waste, batteries, and sanitary products.
Inert Waste – Construction and demolition debris like sand, concrete, clay, subsoil, stones, and rubble.
Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016:
Mandatory Source Segregation: Waste generators must segregate waste into three streams: wet (biodegradable), dry (plastic, paper, metal, etc.), and domestic hazardous waste.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Manufacturers/brand owners of certain products (e.g., plastic packaging, e-waste, batteries) are financially responsible for collecting and processing their post-consumer waste.
Role of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs): Responsible for door-to-door collection, transportation, processing, and disposal.
User Fees and Spot Fines: Local bodies can levy user fees for waste services and spot fines for littering or non-segregation.
Promotion of Waste Processing: Emphasis on composting, biomethanation, recycling, and waste-to-energy plants over landfills.
Government Initiatives
Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) (Urban and Gramin): Flagship cleanliness campaign with a focus on achieving “Garbage-Free Cities” (SBM-U 2.0) through scientific waste management.
Waste to Wealth Mission: Promotes converting waste into energy, compost, and other valuable products.
GOBAR-Dhan Scheme: Focuses on converting organic waste and cattle dung into biogas, bio-CNG, and organic manure in rural areas.
NAMASTE Scheme: Aims to formalize and integrate informal waste pickers into the formal waste management system, providing them with safety and social security.
Kashmir’s new Chrysanthemum Garden, Bagh-e-Gul-e-Dawood will open near the Zabarwan range, featuring over 30 lakh blooms across 50+ varieties.
Chrysanthemum
It is a perennial flowering plant from the Asteraceae family.
It is widely cultivated in China, Japan, Europe, and the U.S. for its medicinal properties and use in aromatic beverages.
Uniqueness – It is rich in phenolic compounds and exhibits potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and other therapeutic activities.
International Convention Against Doping in Sport
Syllabus: Miscellaneous
In News
India was re-elected as Vice-Chairperson of the Bureau representing the Asia-Pacific during the 10th Session of UNESCO’s International Convention against Doping in Sport, held in Paris.
Doping and its Concerns
Doping refers to the practice of using banned chemical substances, known as performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), by athletes.
Conventions and Declarations related to Anti-Doping
Copenhagen Declaration
Held in – Copenhagen Declaration on Anti-Doping in Sport was agreed upon by governments at the Second World Conference on Doping in Sport held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2003.
Purpose – The declaration was the political document through which governments signalled their intention to formally recognise and implement the World Anti-Doping Code.
Significance – This declaration was the first step toward the preparation of the UNESCO International Convention against doping in sports.
India agreed to this declaration in the year 2003.
International Convention Against Doping in Sport
It is also known as the ‘UNESCO Anti-Doping Convention’.
It was adopted at the General Conference of UNESCO in Paris in 2005. It entered into force in 2007.
Objective –To promote the prevention of and the fight against doping in sports, with a view to its elimination.
India ratified this convention in 2007.
Note – National Anti-Doping Agency, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs, is responsible for adopting, implementing and enforcing anti-doping programmes in India.
Strengthening Governance through Blockchain Technology
Syllabus: GS2/ Governance. GS3/ Science and Technology
Context
India is accelerating its adoption of blockchain technology to transform governance, enhance transparency, and strengthen digital trust through the National Blockchain Framework (NBF).
Connect with the basics- Blockchain
Definition – Blockchain is a distributed, transparent, secure, and immutable database that functions like a ledger of records or transactions, resistant to tampering and accessible across a network of computers.
Applications of Blockchain Technology
Blockchain technology has numerous applications across various industries due to its secure, transparent, and decentralized nature.
Cryptocurrencies: Enabling secure digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Smart Contracts: Automating agreements without intermediaries.
Supply Chain Management: Enhancing transparency and traceability.
Healthcare: Securing patient records and improving data sharing.
Banking and Finance: Streamlining cross-border payments and fraud detection.
Voting Systems: Ensuring transparent and tamper-proof elections.
Identity Management: Offering secure, verifiable digital identities.
Real Estate: Simplifying property transfers with tokenized assets.
Gaming: Enabling ownership of in-game assets and NFTs.
Energy Sector: Supporting peer-to-peer energy trading.
National Blockchain Framework (NBF)
Launched in- 2024
Developed by – Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
Objective – to accelerate the development and deployment of permissioned blockchain-based applications.
Makhananomics
Syllabus: GS3/Economy
In News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the newly launched National Makhana Board as a transformative “revolution” for the sector.
Makhana (Euryale ferox)
It is a flowering plant classified in the water lily family (Nymphaeaceae).
Climatic condition: Requires a temperature range of 20-35°C, and annual rainfall between 100- 250 cm.
It is a fully organic non-cereal food found principally in India but also in Korea, Japan, as well as parts of eastern Russia.
Bihar accounts for ~90% of India’s makhana production.
GI Tag: In 2022, ‘Mithila Makhana’ was conferred a GI tag.
Cloud Seeding
Syllabus: GS3/Environment
Context
Delhi Chief Minister has said cloud seeding is essential for the national capital as it could play a key role in controlling rising pollution levels during the winter season.
Cloud Seeding or Artificial Rain
Definition – Artificial rain refers to inducing precipitation by injecting certain chemicals into clouds to accelerate the process of raindrop formation.
Conditions Required:Potential rain-bearing clouds, sufficient humidity and atmospheric instability & Favorable wind and temperature conditions.
Advantages of Cloud Seeding
Air Pollution Mitigation: In cities like Delhi, artificial rain can wash down particulate matter and other pollutants, providing temporary relief from severe air pollution.
Drought Mitigation and Water Resource Augmentation: States like Maharashtra and Karnataka have used cloud seeding to combat water shortages (e.g., “Project Meghdoot” and “Varshadhari”).
Forest Fire Control: By increasing moisture levels, cloud seeding can potentially reduce the risk and intensity of wildfires.
Sree Narayana Guru
Syllabus: GS1/Modern History
Context
The President of India inaugurated the observance of the Mahasamadhi centenary of Sree Narayana Guru at Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, Kerala.
Sree Narayana Guru(1856–1928)
He was born in 1856 in Kerala into the Ezhava community, which faced severe caste disabilities.
He was a saint, philosopher, and one of the foremost social reformers in modern India who challenged caste oppression and emphasized spiritual reform as the path to social reform.
Sree Narayana Guru known for blending Advaita Vedanta with a call for social justice.
Key Contributions
Social Philosophy: Propagated the radical message: “One Caste, One Religion, One God for Man”.
Rejected birth-based caste hierarchy and promoted dignity of labour.
Institution Building: Founded Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP, 1903) to advance education, social empowerment, and reform.
Aruvipuram Movement (1888): Consecrated a Shiva idol himself, breaking the Brahmin monopoly over temple ritual Built temples, schools, and ashrams for the common people with egalitarian access.
Political & Social Movements: Extended moral and ideological support to the Vaikom Satyagraha (1924–25) for temple entry rights of lower castes.
Educational Upliftment: Stressed education as the foundation of empowerment and upliftment.
Gyan Bharatam Mission
Syllabus: GS1/Culture
Context
The Gyan Bharatam Mission on manuscripts under the Union Culture Ministry, signed Memorandums of Understanding with around 20 institutes for conservation, upkeep and digitisation of manuscripts.
Gyan Bharatam Mission
Purpose – The mission aims to preserve and protect manuscripts found across the country.
Objective: To undertake the “survey, documentation and conservation” of more than one crore manuscript heritage lying with academic institutions, museums, libraries, etc.
Significance of Mission: Preserving historical value, unveiling ancient Indian knowledge to the world, ensuring longevity and round-the-clock access to Manuscripts, etc.
Basic terms – Manuscripts
A manuscript is a handwritten composition on paper, bark, palm leaf etc. dating back at least 75 years that has significant scientific, historical or aesthetic value.
g. Bakhshali manuscript (Third or fourth century A.D.), an ancient Indian mathematical text written on birch bark, is considered to be the earliest recorded example of use of zero.
India possesses an estimated 10 million manuscripts in 80 ancient scripts like Brahmi, Kushan, Gaudi, Lepcha, and Maithili.
Other initiatives for manuscript conservation in India
National Manuscripts Mission (NMM): Launched In 2003, by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to locate and preserve manuscripts.
National Library of India, Kolkata: It has about 3600 rare and historically important manuscripts.
Asiatic Society of Bengal: Founded on Jan. 15, 1784, by Sir William Jones, undertakes digitization of ancient manuscripts.
State to ready 300-acre data centre park at Tavarekere in 18 months
News –
Karnataka will create a dedicated data centre park at Tavarekere, an industrial area bordering Hoskote and Kolar.
Dedicated data centre park at Tavarekere
Aim – to cater to the huge data centre infrastructure requirement in the State.
Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has already notified and would soon be acquiring 1,000 acres of land in Tavarekere, (some 46 km away from the central business area of Bengaluru),
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has directed digital monitoring on the Online National Drugs Licensing System (ONDLS) for tracking the supply chain of high-risk solvents.
Online National Drugs Licensing System
It is a Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in India for processing drug- and cosmetic-related applications for manufacturing and sales licences, and various certificates.
It is developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) in coordination with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
Additional Information – Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO)
Established under – It is the Central Drug Authority and is responsible for carrying out duties entrusted by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,1940.
Responsibilities:
Adoption of drugs.
clinical trials, please.
establishing the criteria for drugs.
control over the country’s imported drugs’ quality.
Coordination of state drug control organizations’ effort
Other Drug Regulatory Bodies in India
Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI): It is in charge of approving licenses for specific kinds of medications. He or she also serves as the head of the CDSCO department of the Indian government.
Drug Price Control Order (DPCO): To keep certain necessary medications in India accessible for the general people, the DPCO controls their prices.
Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940: This act regulates domestic drug use.
Cassava/Tapioca crops
Syllabus: GS3/Agriculture
Context
A tiny parasitic wasp, Anagyrus lopezi, has been successfully used for biological control of the invasive cassava mealybug in tapioca plantations.
Cassava (Also called ‘Bread of the Tropics’)
Known as – ‘Yuca’ or ‘Manioc’.
It is a root vegetable grown through stem cuttings.
It is a tall semi-woody perennial shrub or tree native to South America and was introduced in Africa & Asia by Portuguese sailors.
Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of Cassava.
It has numerous health benefits as it is rich in energy & vitamins.
Significance – Under India’s National Policy on Biofuels (2018), cassava is recognized as a raw material for ethanol production, enhancing its significance beyond food security.
5th Edition of “An Eye on Methane: From Measurement to Momentum”
Syllabus: GS3/ Environment
In News
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released the fifth edition of its flagship publication — “An Eye on Methane: From Measurement to Momentum” report.
Key Highlights of the 2025 Report
Methane emissions from energy, agriculture, and waste sectors remain high, despite available cost-effective mitigation technologies.
Methane has 80 times more warming potential than CO₂ over 20 years.
Approximately 60% of current methane emissions originate from human activities, with the largest contributors being agriculture, fossil fuel extraction and use, and landfill waste.
The report highlights India’s effective role in the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) and its efforts through SATAT, National Biogas Mission, and waste-to-energy projects.
International Day of the Snow Leopard 2025
Syllabus: GS3/ Environment
Context
India celebrated International Snow Leopard Day on October 23, with a nationwide campaign “#23for23”.
International Day of the Snow Leopard 2025
In 2024, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed October 23 as the International Day of the Snow Leopard.
Objective – to enhance international and regional cooperation for Snow Leopard
The ‘#23for23’ campaign is an initiative of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme (GSLEP) and the Snow Leopard Trust Worldwide.
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
Project Snow Leopard (PSL)
Launched in – 2009
Objective – To promote an inclusive and participatory approach to conserve snow leopards and their habitat.
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.
Snow Leopard conservation breeding programme – It is undertaken at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling, West Bengal.
HimalSanrakshak – It is a community volunteer programme, to protect snow leopards, launched on 23rd October 2020.
First National Protocol – was also launched In 2019.
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).
The regional office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Bengaluru, has rejected a proposal for diversion of 48.2 ha of forestland for a mining project in Tumakuru district.
The inspection pertained to a proposal seeking clearance for the Sarangapani Iron and Manganese Ore Mine Project.
The mining project is in Thirtharamapura Reserve Forest and is spread across Gollarahalli, Hosahalli, Kodihalli, Tonalapura, and Lakmenahalli villages in Chikkanayakanahalli taluk of Tumakuru district.
The rejection stems from the fact that commercial mining is a prohibited activity within the deemed Eco-Sensitive Zone of Bukkapatna Wildlife Sanctuary.
Additional Information – Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary
Location – It is located in the Sira Taluk of the Tumakuru district in Karnataka.
It is a protected area, notified in 2019,
Objective – to conserve the Indian gazelle (Chinkara) and other dryland biodiversity.
Flora and Fauna
The sanctuary is a wooded savannah ecosystem, featuring extensive grasslands and sparsely distributed native tree species.
Key Fauna: The sanctuary is primarily known for its chinkaras, and also features blackbucks, four-horned antelopes, leopards, sloth bears, hyenas, and wild boars. More than 160 bird species have also been recorded.
Key Flora: Notable tree species include Hardwickia binata (Anjan), Phyllanthus emblica (Amla), and Tamarindus indica (Imli).
Two imprisoned journalists Andrzej Poczobut in Belarus and Mzia Amaghlobeli in Georgia—have won the 2025 Sakharov Prize.
Sakharov Prize
Established in – 1988
Named after – Soviet dissident and Nobel Peace laureate Andrei Sakharov.
It is the European Union’s highest human rights award,
Mandate – It honours individuals or groups defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Do you know?
● Several Sakharov laureates, including Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Denis Mukwege, and Nadia Murad, later went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
● Interestingly, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month, received the Sakharov Prize last year.
Government Defends Forest Rights Act in Supreme Court
Syllabus: GS2/ Governance, GS3/ Environment
Context
The Central Government has defended the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, before the Supreme Court.
It emphasizes that the legislation is restoring the dignity, livelihoods, and cultural identity of India’s forest-dependent communities.
Forest Rights Act, 2006
The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, popularly known as the Forest Rights Act (FRA).
It legally recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers over forest land and resources they have traditionally used for generations.
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM)
Syllabus: GS2/Governance/GS3/Poverty
Context
The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development, is one of the world’s largest poverty alleviation programmes.
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana
Launch: It was launched in 2010 by restructuring the earlier Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), the initiative was renamed in 2016 as Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM).
Financing – It is a centrally sponsored scheme.
Aim – to reduce rural poverty through self-employment and skilled wage employment.
Women Centric Model: The mission promotes economic independence by linking women to credit, markets, and technology through SHGs and federations.
The UN’s Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Initiative
Syllabus: GS 3/Environment
In News
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) rallied its 193 Member States to commit to universal early warning coverage by 2027 under the UN’s Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative.
Basics – Early Warning System (EWS)
It is an integrated approach that combines hazard monitoring, forecasting, disaster risk assessment, communication, and preparedness to enable timely action for saving lives, livelihoods, and assets at risk.
UN’s Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Initiative
Launched in 2022
Co-led by – WMO, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Aim – Its goal is to ensure that every person — regardless of where they live — is protected by life-saving alerts for hazards such as cyclones, floods, heat waves or droughts.
Order of Precedence: Param Vir Chakra (PVC), Ashoka Chakra (AC), Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), Kirti Chakra (KC), Vir Chakra (VrC), Shaurya Chakra (SC).
All six awards can be conferred posthumously.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
Syllabus: GS3/Security Forces
In News
The Supreme Court transferred the investigation into the Karur stampede from the Tamil Nadu Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Central Bureau of Investigation
Set up in – It was set up in 1963 by a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Established under – It comes under the administrative control of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
Recommended by – It was established on the recommendation of the Santhanam Committee.
Legal status – The CBI is not a statutory body. It derives its powers from the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946.
Functions
The CBI is the main investigating agency of the Central Government.
It also provides assistance to the Central Vigilance Commission and Lokpal.
It is also the nodal police agency in India which coordinates investigations on behalf of Interpol Member countries.
Police Commemoration Day
Syllabus: GS3/Internal Security
Context
Police Commemoration Day was observed on 21st October at the National Police Memorial to honour the valour and sacrifice of police personnel.
About
On October 21, 1959, Indian policemen were martyred in an ambush by Chinese troops at Hot Springs, Ladakh.
The day commemorates their supreme sacrifice and all police personnel who have laid down their lives in the line of duty.
A memorial was erected at Hot Springs and members of Police Forces from different parts of the country trek to Hot Springs to pay homage to the martyrs.
Since the year 2012, the Police Commemoration Day Parade has been held at the National level at the Police Memorial.
National Police Memorial (NPM)
Dedicated by: Prime Minister on Police Commemoration Day, 2018.
Location: Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
The Memorial gives police Forces a sense of national identity, pride, unity of purpose, common history and destiny.
It comprises a Central Sculpture, a Wall of Valour and a museum.
The Wall of Valour: 30 feet tall granite sculpture stands at the police memorial with the names of over 35,000 martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
Additional Information
‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are state subjects under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India
SMART Policing: The SMART Policing Initiative was introduced by the Prime Minister of India in 2014 to modernize and transform Indian policing.
Assistance to State & UTs for Modernization of Police (ASUMP) Scheme – to strengthen police infrastructure with the latest technology, weaponry, communication equipment, etc
‘CyTrain’ portal: It is a Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) platform, developed for capacity building of police officers/judicial officers. It provides online courses on critical aspects of cybercrime investigation, forensics, prosecution, etc.
Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025
Syllabus: GS3/ Environment
Context
India has moved up to the 9th position in terms of total forest area globally, as per the Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025, released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Bali.
Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025
It is published once in 5 years
Total Global forests cover – 4.14 billion hectares (32% of total land area).
Countries with largest forest cover – Russia has the largest forest cover followed by Brazil, Canada, the USA, China, Congo, Australia, Indonesia, India and Peru.
Note- the world continues to lose 10.9 million hectares of forest every year (2015–2025), a rate still considered alarmingly high.
India’s Forest Cover Status:
India’s forest cover – 7 million hectares (2% of global forest area.
India has maintained its third position worldwide after China and Russia In terms of annual forest gain.
India Moves up to 9th Position Globally in Forest Area
Government Initiatives toward forest conservation
‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign – It encourages citizens to plant trees and enhance environmental consciousness.
National Mission for a Green India (GIM): A mission under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) that aims to increase forest cover and improve existing forest quality to combat climate change.
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act (2016): An act that ensures funds for afforestation and related activities by requiring users of forest land for non-forest purposes to pay compensatory levies.
Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs): Areas designated around Protected Areas (National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries) to act as a buffer and minimize the negative impact of certain human activities on fragile ecosystems.
Joint Forest Management (JFM): A program that fosters partnerships between state forest departments and local communities to protect, and regenerate forest resources.
Iran Ratifies UN Convention Against Terror Financing
Syllabus: GS2/ International Relations, GS3/ Security
Context
Iran has ratified a law to join the United Nations International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) in a bid to align with global financial norms.
FATF status: As of October 2025, Iran remains on the FATF blacklist for its failure to adopt sufficient anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) standards.
The ratification is seen as a first step toward potential re-evaluation by the FATF.
Convention Against Terror Financing
Adoption – It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1999 (Resolution 54/109).
Objective:To criminalize the financing of terrorism and establish international cooperation mechanisms to prevent, investigate, and prosecute such offences.
International Legal Framework: Complements other UN instruments such as the UN Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2000).
India has ratified the CFT and has incorporated its provisions through:
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967
Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
Additional Information – Financial Action Task Force
Established – The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 during the G7 Summit in Paris.
Objective – To set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
Secretariat – It is located at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) headquarters in Paris.
Member Countries – 37 member countries where India is also a member.
FATF has two lists
Grey List – Countries that are considered safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put in the FATF grey list. This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist.
Black List – Countries known as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs) are put in the blacklist. These countries support terror funding and money laundering activities. The FATF revises the blacklist regularly, adding or deleting entries.
Bengaluru to get 35-petaflop supercomputer from C-DAC
News –
Bengaluru will soon get a 35-petaflop supercomputer, a high-capacity computing machine, currently being built by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
A petaflop is a unit of measurement for computer processing speed, representing one quadrillion floating-point operations per second.
National Supercomputing Mission(NSM)
Launched in – 2015
Objective – It is a mission of the Government of India to boost the supercomputing capabilities of India.
Key features
This mission consists of designing and manufacturing 73 supercomputers in India.
These clusters of supercomputers will be connected to various academic and research institutions across India.
This grid will be connected to the National Knowledge Network (NKN).
Implementing Agencies
Department of Science and Technology
Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY)
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
New-age applications of supercomputers
Weather forecasting
Natural disaster predictions
Drug discovery
Space applications
Aerodynamic research
3D nuclear test simulations.
Facts about Supercomputers
India’ s First Supercomputer – PARAM 8000, developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, and launched in 1991.
“Rudra” is India’s first indigenously designed HPC server on par with global HPC-class servers.
India’s fastest supercomputer is- AIRAWAT, which is the largest and fastest AI supercomputing system in the country.
It has a speed of 13,170 teraflops and was ranked 75th globally on the Top 500 list in 2023.
The Prime Minister extended congratulations to Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s newly-elected and first woman Prime Minister.
He emphasized that partnership between India and Japan plays a vital role in ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific region
Chandrayaan-2 mission
Syllabus: GS3 / Science and Technology
Context
The Chandrayaan-2 mission has made the first-ever observation of the Sun’s Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) on the Moon using its onboard scientific instruments.
Chandrayaan-1
It was launched in 2008.
It was India’s first lunar mission.
It made India the fifth country to reach the Moon.
The mission’s most significant discovery was the presence of water molecules on the lunar surface, a finding confirmed by NASA.
Chandrayaan-2
It was launched in 2019 with an orbiter, a lander (Vikram), and a rover (Pragyan).
The mission aimed to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface, but ISRO lost contact with the lander just before touchdown, resulting in a crash landing.
Despite this setback, the orbiter continued functioning and provided crucial data on the Moon’s surface and atmosphere.
Chandrayaan-3,
It is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2, successfully achieved a soft landing on the Moon’s south pole in 2023.
Lander payloads:
Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) – to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature
Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) – for measuring the seismicity around the landing site etc.
Rover payloads:
Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) & Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) for deriving the elemental composition in the vicinity of landing site.
CAQM Invokes Stage-II of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Entire NCR
Syllabus: GS3/ Environment
In News
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked Stage-II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the entire National Capital Region.
Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)
Objective – It is a set of emergency measures implemented in Delhi-NCR to control air pollution based on the Air Quality Index (AQI) levels.
Implementation – It was formulated by the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) and enforced by CAQM from 2021.
GRAP is divided into four stages corresponding to AQI levels:
Stage I – Poor (AQI 201–300)
Stage II – Very Poor (AQI 301–400)
Stage III – Severe (AQI 401–450)
Stage IV – Severe+ (AQI >450)
Why Do Air Quality Deteriorate in NCR during Winters?
Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.
Low wind speed and temperature inversion trapping pollutants.
Vehicular emissions, construction dust, and Diwali fireworks add to the load.
Urban heat island effect and regional topography aggravate stagnation of pollutants.
Commission for Air Quality Management
Constituted under: The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021.
Jurisdiction: Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
Purpose: To coordinate and implement region-wide measures for air quality improvement, replacing the earlier EPCA.
New Monoclonal Antibody Shows Early Promise Against Malaria
Syllabus: GS2/ Health, GS3/ Science and Technology
Context
A novel monoclonal antibody (mAb) named MAM01, has demonstrated strong, dose-dependent protection against malaria in an early clinical trial.
Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs)
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are lab-created proteins that mimic your body’s natural antibodies to fight specific foreign invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells.
They are a powerful form of targeted therapy because they are designed to bind only to a single, specific target
Malaria
Responsible pathogen – Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites.
Vector – It spreads from people to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable.
Transmission – Malaria is not contagious and cannot spread from one person to another; the disease is transmitted through the bites of female Anopheles mosquitoes.
Five species of parasites can cause malaria in humans and 2 of these species – Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax – pose the greatest threat.
Symptoms
Infants, children under 5 years, pregnant women, travelers and people with HIV or AIDS are at higher risk. Severe symptoms include:
extreme tiredness and fatigue
impaired consciousness
multiple convulsions
difficulty breathing
dark or bloody urine
jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)
abnormal bleeding.
Initiatives to Control Malaria by WHO
WHO’s Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030 – It aims to reduce malaria case incidence and mortality rates by at least 40% by 2020, at least 75% by 2025 and at least 90% by 2030 against a 2015 baseline.
‘E-2025 Initiative’: The WHO has identified 25 countries with the potential to eradicate malaria by 2025 under the initiative.
High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) initiative: WHO has initiated the initiative in 11 high malaria burden countries, including India.
Indian Government Initiatives to Control Malaria
National target – The Government of India set a target to eliminate malaria in India by 2027.
National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) – It has been developed and launched in 2016 aligned with the Global Technical Strategy (GTS) for malaria elimination 2016-2030.
Malaria Elimination Research Alliance-India (MERA-India): It was established by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as a conglomeration of partners working on malaria control.
UDAN Scheme
Syllabus: GS3/Infrastructure
Context
Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme has completed 9 Years.
UDAN Scheme
It is a regional connectivity scheme launched in 2016.
The first UDAN flight operated between Shimla and Delhi in 2017.
Ministry: Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Aim: To make air travel affordable and accessible to the common citizen by connecting Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities to major hubs.
Implementation:
Viability Gap Funding (VGF): Financial support to airlines to ensure affordable fares.
