Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 12th March 2025

Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary:

A wildfire has engulfed about 50 hectares of area of Sajjangarh Sanctuary of Udaipur recently.

• Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the outskirts of Udaipur city in Rajasthan.
• It is nestled in the Aravalli hill range, covering an area of approximately 5.19 sq.km.
• The Sanctuary lies around the Sajjangarh Fort, built by the erstwhile Maharana Sajjan Singh of Mewar in 1874 on Bansdara Hill.
• Bari Lake, popularly known as Tiger Lake, is situated on the western slope of the Sanctuary. This lake was built by Maharana Raj Singh of the Mewar dynasty.
• It encompasses a blend of deciduous and semi-evergreen
• It boasts a lush environment dominated by trees like teak, mango, neem, jamun, khair, and ber.
• The presence of abundant bamboo groves further enhances the habitat.
• It is home to animals like panthers, hyenas, wild boars, jackals, sloth bears, sambar deer, spotted deer, and four-horned antelopes.

Pratibimb Module:

The Pratibimb Module has led to the arrest of 6,046 accused, 17,185 linkages, and 36,296 cyber investigation assistance requests, the Lok Sabha was informed recently.

• It is a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based software launched by the Union Home Ministry’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
• Objective is to help enforcement agencies, including state police forces, to map cybercriminals in real time and destroy their network.
• Pratibimb offers a unique advantage of projecting mobile numbers used in cybercrimes across the entire country into a GIS map.
• The software also provides a map view to personnel of the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and service providers to ascertain the actual locations of mobile numbers active in criminal activities.
• Samanvaya Platform was launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs as a coordination platform for LEAs for cybercrime data sharing and analytics.

Volcan de Fuego : Erupted

A powerful eruption of the Volcan de Fuego in Guatemala recently has sent shockwaves through the region, with strong explosions, incandescent material, and pyroclastic flows threatening nearby communities.

• Volcan de Fuego, which translates to “Volcano of Fire” in Spanish, is one of three large stratovolcanoes overlooking Guatemala’s former capital, Antigua.
• Guatemala lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
• Fuego is one of Central America’s most active volcanoes.
• It has a long history of violent eruptions, with records dating back to the 16th century.
• A deadly eruption in 2018 claimed 194 lives and left 234 people missing.
• The volcano’s eruptive style is characterised by explosive events, lava flows, and pyroclastic flows, which pose major threats to nearby populations.
• Stratovolcano is a tall, steep, and cone-shaped type of volcano.
• Unlike flat shield volcanoes, they have higher peaks. At the peak, stratovolcanoes usually have a small crater.

POLG Disease:

A 22-year-old young prince of Luxembourg, Prince Frederik, recently died from a rare genetic disease called POLG.

• POLG Disease is a genetic mitochondrial disorder that prevents the body’s cells from producing adequate energy, which in turn can cause multiple organ dysfunctions and failures.
• The disease affects multiple organs of the body, primarily the brain, nerves, muscles, and liver.
• It could also affect a person’s vision due to the involvement of affected brain structures.
• People with POLG “likely end up bedridden and unable to function in so many of those activities of daily living.
• The condition affects mitochondria, the “powerhouse” of the cell, which converts food into ATP (Adenosine triphosphate), the primary source of energy in living cells of a body.
• Mitochondria contain their own DNA, which requires a specific enzyme to replicate, found in the host cell’s POLG and POLG2 genes.
• Mutations in these genes therefore impact the ability for mitochondria to replicate.
• A person can see symptoms, from mild to severe, starting from early childhood to adulthood.
• The most frequent symptoms include muscle weakness, ophthalmoplegia (weakness or paralysis of the eye), epilepsy, and liver failure.
• POLG also affects neurological function and impacts a person’s ability to balance, talk, and walk, and it causes seizures and more.
• There is currently no cure for POLG.
• Available treatment for the POLG focuses on managing the symptoms and quality of life.

INS Imphal : Arrived at Port Louis

Indian Naval Ship (INS) Imphal arrived at Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, recently for its maiden port call ahead of the country’s 57th National Day celebrations on March 12.

• INS Imphal Commissioned in December 2023, INS Imphal is the third of the four Project 15B Visakhapatnam-class stealth-guided missile destroyers.
• The other destroyers in the Visakhapatnam class are INS Visakhapatnam, INS Mormugao, and INS Surat.
• INS Imphal is a potent platform capable of undertaking a variety of tasks and missions, spanning the full spectrum of maritime warfare.
• The Navy’s Warship Design Bureau designed the ship in-house, and Mazagon Dock Ltd. (MDL) was responsible for its construction.
• It is the first warship to be named after a city in the Northeast, Imphal — the capital of Manipur.
• It was the first naval warship commissioned with accommodation for women officers and sailors.

Existence Of Fourth Form Of Water:

Scientists have confirmed the existence of a fourth form of water, Plastic Ice VII, an exotic phase of ice that forms under extreme conditions.

• Under normal conditions, water exists in three phases: solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (vapour or steam). Unlike ordinary ice, Plastic Ice VII allows water molecules to rotate freely within a rigid crystalline structure.
• This phase was first predicted in 2008, but scientists have now provided solid evidence of its existence using advanced neutron-scattering experiments at the Institut Laue-Langevin in France.
• The unique structure of Plastic Ice VII forms at pressures exceeding three gigapascals (GPa), about 30,000 times atmospheric pressure on Earth, and temperatures above 450 Kelvin (177°C).
• Researchers used quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) and diamond-anvil cells to study tiny high-pressure samples.
• These techniques allowed them to analyze molecular motion at the atomic scale.
• Their findings confirm that while Plastic Ice VII retains a crystalline structure, its molecules rotate in specific, preferred directions.
• This discovery has profound implications for planetary science. Ice VII, an earlier known phase, exists deep inside the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, such as Callisto, Ganymede, and Titan.
• Now, the confirmation of Plastic Ice VII suggests that water in extreme environments behaves in even more complex ways than previously thought.

WFI suspension revoked:

The Union government revoked the suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), restoring its status as a National Sports Federation (NSF).  The suspension, imposed in December 2023, was lifted after the WFI shifted its office location and complied with governance norms. The suspension was imposed in December 2023 due to Sexual harassment allegations against former WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Irregularities in governance, including WFI operating from the former president’s residence, Lack of transparency and violation of National Sports Code provisions, Failure to function independently, with undue influence from previous leadership.

Grant in Aid to NCDC:

The Ministry of Cooperation has provided a ₹1,000 crore grant to the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to strengthen Cooperative Sugar Mills (CSMs). The grant aims to leverage ₹10,000 crore in financial assistance for ethanol plants, cogeneration units, and working capital support.A financial assistance initiative to support Cooperative Sugar Mills (CSMs) in improving productivity and sustainability. Funds provided to NCDC to enable borrowing from the market, ensuring a higher capital flow for sugar mills.Nodal Ministry : Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India.

AAHAR 2025:

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) showcased India’s agricultural and processed food excellence at AAHAR 2025, with 95 exhibitors from 17 states and UTs. APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) is a statutory body established under the APEDA Act, 1985.It functions under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. Headquarters: New Delhi, India.The event emphasized India’s strength in agri-exports, plant-based foods, and food processing innovation.

Soil Fertility Mapping:

The Soil & Land Use Survey of India (SLUSI) has generated digital soil fertility maps for 351 villages across 34 districts in Maharashtra using geospatial techniques.This initiative, under the Soil Health & Fertility Scheme, aims to enhance soil productivity and optimize fertilizer use.Soil Fertility Mapping is a scientific method of assessing and visualizing soil nutrient composition across different regions. It Uses geospatial techniques, remote sensing, and AI-based tools to generate precise soil health data.

NGO to create a mini-forest for school students:

Pasumai Vidhaigal, an NGO in Kancheepuram district, has planted over 1,000 fruit tree saplings at the Ullavoor government school to create a mini-forest. This initiative promotes environmental awareness among students and encourages community participation. Over the past 10 years, the NGO has distributed 2.7 lakh saplings and created 28 Miyawaki forests across the region.The mini-forest project behind the Ullavoor school aims to teach students about tree conservation and environmental protection through active participation.