Asteroid YR4 might miss the Earth

Why in the News? Asteroid YR4, discovered in December 2024 via Chile’s ATLAS telescope, was first thought to threaten Earth but was later ruled out. Scientists now focus on its potential Moon impact in 2032. About Asteroid 2024 YR4: Asteroid 2024 YR4 was discovered in December 2024 by the ATLAS telescope located in Chile. It… Continue reading

IAF spokesperson quotes Ramcharitmanas

Why in the News? India’s briefing on Operation Sindoor was opened with lines from poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar and concluded with a reference to the Ramcharitmanas (by Tulsidas) by the IAF spokesperson. About Tulsidas: Tulsidas, born as Ram Bola Dubey, was a Brahmin poet-saint believed to have been born in Rajapur (present-day Banda district, Uttar… Continue reading

Self-Defence Clause in Global Law

Why in the News? India and Pakistan agreed to cease all firing and military actions following precision strikes by India under Operation Sindoor as a Self-Defence against the Pahalgam massacre that killed 26 civilians. About Right to Self-Defence under UN Charter: The United Nations Charter generally prohibits the use of force under Article 2(4). Article… Continue reading

Gold’s Cosmic Origins from Magnetar Flares

Why in the News? A new study by Columbia University, suggests that the universe may have an alternate mechanism for producing gold — not just in neutron star collisions, as previously believed, but also in magnetar flares. What are Magnetars? Magnetars are a rare type of neutron star with immensely strong magnetic fields, among the… Continue reading

Scientists create first ‘Pangenome’ of Asian Rice

Why in the News? Chinese researchers has developed a first-of-its-kind rice pangenome by integrating genetic data from 144 wild and cultivated rice varieties from Asia (similar to the Human Genome Project). About the Rice Pangenome: A pangenome includes both the core genes shared by all members of a species and the unique genes found in… Continue reading

Delhi Morphological Ridge

Why in the News? The Supreme Court notified civic officials of allegedly violating its 1996 directive in the M.C. Mehta vs Union of India case (1996) by approving a private housing project in Delhi’s ecologically sensitive Morphological Ridge area. About Delhi Morphological Ridge: The Delhi Ridge is the northern extension of the ancient Aravalli Range,… Continue reading

BrahMos: the ‘Fire and Forget’ Stealthy Cruise Missile

Why in the News? The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile has garnered global attention as it was reportedly used for the first time in a combat scenario during Operation Sindoor. About the BrahMos Missile: BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia through BrahMos Aerospace. The name is derived from the Brahmaputra… Continue reading

World’s Longest Banana Infructescence Found in Andaman

Why in the News? A species of wild banana, Musa indandamanensis, endemic to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has set a world record with an infructescence (fruit bunch axis) measuring 4.2 metres — the longest ever recorded among banana species globally. About the Musa indandamanensis: Musa indandamanensis is a wild banana species that is endemic… Continue reading

[10th May 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: Sprouting sustainable, nutrition-sensitive food systems

PYQ Relevance: [UPSC 2024] Explain the role of millets for ensuring health and nutritional security in India. Linkage: Nutrition-sensitive agriculture and promoting the cultivation of climate-resilient, biofortified crops, and enhancing crop diversity. Millets are a prime example of such crops that contribute to health and nutritional security, making this question highly relevant to the article’s… Continue reading

It is time to protect India’s workers from the heat

Why in the News? Millions of informal workers in Indian cities are still suffering the most because Heat Action Plans are poorly designed. What are the key gaps in current Heat Action Plans for informal workers? Lack of Specific Focus on Informal Workers: Most Heat Action Plans do not explicitly identify or address the unique… Continue reading

[pib] Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS)

Why in the News? The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has announced the expansion of the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS). About Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS): The CGSS was launched on October 6, 2022, as part of the Startup India Action… Continue reading

[pib] 20th Session of UN Forum on Forests (UNFF20)

Why in the News? India participated in the 20th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF20) held at the UN Headquarters, New York, reaffirming its commitment to the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF) 2017–2030. About United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF): UNFF was established in 2000 by the UN Economic and… Continue reading

Competition Commission issues norms to assess Predatory Pricing

Why in the News? The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has introduced new Cost Regulations 2025 to check if companies are selling below cost to unfairly drive out competitors. About Competition Commission of India (CCI): The CCI was established on 14 October 2003 and became fully operational in May 2009. It aims to eliminate anti-competitive… Continue reading

[9th May 2025] The Hindu Op-ed: Remembering the war, reminiscing forgotten Indians

PYQ Relevance: [UPSC 2021] “There arose a serious challenge to the Democratic State System between the two World Wars.” Evaluate the statement. Linkage: The period “between the two World Wars”, providing a broader historical context related to World War II which is the focus of Article. It prompts discussion on the challenges to democratic systems… Continue reading

Caution and optimism: On India’s FTA with the United Kingdom

Why in the News? India and the United Kingdom have signed a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA), under which 99% of Indian exports to the U.K. will have no import duties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday. What are the key benefits for India under the Free Trade… Continue reading

Explained: How Air Defence Systems work

Why in the News? Tensions between the two countries increased as Pakistan launched missiles and drones early Thursday to target 15 Indian military sites. In response, India hit air defence radars in Pakistan, neutralizing one in Lahore. What are the three main operations that constitute an effective air defence system? Detection: The first step involves… Continue reading

Persian Gulf to be renamed as ‘Arabian Gulf’

Why in the News? Donald Trump plans to announce that the US will officially refer to the Persian Gulf as the “Arabian Gulf” or “Gulf of Arabia”, aligning with the preferences of Arab nations. About Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf is a marginal sea of the Indian Ocean, located in Western Asia. It is connected… Continue reading

Kosmos 482 Mission

Why in the News? A 500-kg piece of a Soviet spacecraft, part of the Kosmos 482 mission launched in 1972, is expected to crash back to Earth. About Kosmos 482 Mission: Kosmos 482 was a Soviet space probe launched on March 31, 1972 as part of the Venera Program, aimed at exploring Venus. It was… Continue reading

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