Molecular Cloud: Astronomers studied the L328 molecular cloud, located around 700 light years away, to map the magnetic fields at multiple scales. It is an interstellar cloud of gas and dust in which molecules can form, the most common of which is Hydrogen (H2). These are characterized by their low temperatures (below 40 K, colder […]
Category: Current Affairs
Export Preparedness Index 2024
Export Preparedness Index 2024: NITI Aayog released the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024. Under EPI 2024, the following States and UTs have emerged as leading performers in their respective categories: Leading Performers Large States: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh Small States, North Eastern States & Union Territories: Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, […]
Menkes Disease
Menkes Disease: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the Zycubo (copper histidinate) as the first treatment for Menkes disease in pediatric patients. It is a genetic disorder that affects body’s ability to process copper. It is caused by a mutation of the ATP7A gene located on the X chromosome. This ATP7A gene affects […]
Valley of Flowers National Park
Valley of Flowers National Park: With forest fire raging in the Valley of Flowers, a UNESCO heritage site, for the last five days, the Uttarakhand Disaster Management Department has sought the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) help to douse the inferno. It is located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It is a UNESCO World Heritage […]
Zanskar River
Zanskar River: The much-awaited Chadar trek on the frozen Zanskar River in Ladakh has been deferred due to inadequate ice formation, disappointing trekkers eager to participate in the adventure sport. Zanskar River is a major left-bank tributary of the Indus River, flowing entirely within the union territory of Ladakh in northern India. It drains the […]
Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters
Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters: Indian diplomat has been nominated by the UN Secretary General as chair of Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters for 2026-27. It was established in 1978. Functions of Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters: To advise the Secretary-General on matters within the area of arms limitation and disarmament To serve as the […]
Urban Cooperative Banks : In News
Urban Cooperative Banks : In News The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) proposed resuming the issuance of licenses for Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) after nearly two decades. Urban Cooperative Banks are not formally defined but refer to primary cooperative banks located in urban and semi-urban areas The first formal co-operative legislation in India came with […]
PANKHUDI Portal
PANKHUDI Portal: The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched PANKHUDI portal aimed at strengthening collaboration and transparency in initiatives for women and child development. PANKHUDI is an integrated, single-window digital portal launched to facilitate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and partnership initiatives for women and child development. Inspired by the vision of technology-driven governance […]
Shaksgam Valley Dispute
Shaksgam Valley Dispute: India rejected China’s infrastructure activities in the Shaksgam Valley, termed projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as illegal and invalid, and asserted that the valley is an inseparable part of India. The Shaksgam Valley (Trans-Karakoram Tract) is a high-altitude, sparsely populated region in the eastern Karakoram mountain range. It lies north […]
Iranian conundrum
Iranian conundrum: Iran is witnessing fresh nationwide unrest that began with bazaar shutdowns on 28 December 2025 amid a sharp rial collapse (market rate reported around ~1.45 million rials/USD).The “Iranian conundrum” refers to Iran’s recurring cycle of economic distress + political legitimacy stress + external pressure, where short-term control measures contain unrest, but structural causes […]
