Protosticta sooryaprakashi: A new species of damselfly named, Protosticta sooryaprakashi, sporting vibrant sky-blue markings, has been recently discovered in the biodiversity hotspots of India’s Western Ghats. It is a new species of damselfly. Named the Kodagu Shadowdamsel, it was discovered in Karnataka’s Kodagu district. The species has been named in honour of the late Dr. […]
Booth Level Officer
Booth Level Officer: Concerns have been raised with several Booth Level Officers (BLOs) deaths that have been reported from the states undergoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The BLOs are representatives of the Election Commission of India (ECI) at the grass-root level who assist in updating the electoral roll using their local knowledge. […]
Darjeeling Mandarin Orange
Darjeeling Mandarin Orange: The Darjeeling Mandarin orange received the Geographical Indication status. It is grown in the hills of Darjeeling in West Bengal. The Mandarin Orange (Citrus reticulata Blanco) is a major cash crop of the Darjeeling Hills. It is the third product from the region, after Darjeeling Tea and Dalley Khursani chilli, to get […]
Bamboo Shrimp
Bamboo Shrimp: A team of researchers rediscovered Indian populations of the bamboo shrimp in Karnataka and Odisha after 72 years. Bamboo Shrimp is a freshwater shrimp native to Southeast Asia. Common names: Wood Shrimp, Flower Shrimp, Singapore Wood, Marble Shrimp and Asian Fan Shrimp. Characteristics of Bamboo Shrimp: They have the ability to camouflage themselves […]
Khiamniungan Tribe
Khiamniungan Tribe: The Prime Minister of India mentioned about the Khiamniungan tribe in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ episode. The Khiamniungan tribe is one of the major tribes among the Nagas, with habitation both in India and Myanmar. The meaning of the term Khiamniungan is ‘source of great water or river’. The traditional social structure was […]
Perseverance Rover
Perseverance Rover: NASA’s Perseverance rover recently detected electrical activity in Mars’ atmosphere for the first time. Perseverance, nicknamed “Percy“, is a semi-autonomous rover the size of a small car designed to explore the surface of Mars. It is part of NASA’s ongoing Mars 2020 Mission. Successfully landed on the surface of Mar’s Jezero Crater in […]
India’s Disaster Risk Financing
India’s Disaster Risk Financing: The Union Government recently sanctioned only Rs 260 crore in disaster relief to Kerala following the devastating Wayanad landslides of July 2024, against the State’s estimated losses of Rs 2,200 crore. This glaring disparity has reignited debates around the weakening of cooperative federalism and the increasing centralisation of disaster-risk finance in […]
Uranium Contamination in Delhi
Uranium Contamination in Delhi: New groundwater testing by the Central Ground Water Board shows rising uranium levels in Delhi, with 13–15% of samples showing elevated contamination.Uranium contamination refers to the presence of uranium— a naturally occurring radioactive heavy metal— in groundwater at levels above permissible limits for safe drinking water. World Health Organization (WHO) guideline […]
World AIDS Day 2025
World AIDS Day 2025: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare organised the World AIDS Day 2025 observance under the theme “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response” and highlighted the national progress on AIDS control. In 1998, WHO marked the first World AIDS Day on 1st December to recognize the crucial role of civil society […]
India Re-Elected to UNESCO Executive Board for 2025–29
India Re-Elected to UNESCO Executive Board for 2025–29: India has been re-elected to the UNESCO Executive Board for the 2025–29 term, reaffirming global confidence in its leadership in multilateral governance.The Executive Board is one of UNESCO’s three constitutional organs responsible for supervising programme implementation and providing strategic direction to the organisation.UNESCO was created in 1945, […]
