Bihar is facing severe flooding, affecting 1.184 million people who have been forced from their homes.

Reasons for Flooding in Bihar

• North Bihar, downstream of Nepal's rivers, is vulnerable to floods from upstream rainfall. 
• Rivers like Kosi and Gandak carry heavy sediment from young Himalayas, causing them to quickly overflow during heavy rainfall.
• Embankment has worsened flooding by disrupting sediment distribution and raising the riverbed.

Effects of Bihar Flood

• Damage to crops, infrastructure, loss of livestock, and distress migration etc.

Solutions

• Constructionof dams or an additional barrage on Kosi.
• Adequate laws, policies, and risk reduction strategies

Bureau of Indian Standards is creating a NAC similar to National Building Code and National Electrical Code.

About NAC

• Code will have two parts. First will contain general principles for all crops, and second will deal with crop-specific standards for paddy, wheat, oilseeds, and pulses.
• NAC will cover all agriculture processes and post-harvest operations, like crop selection, land preparation, sowing/transplanting etc.

Objectives

• Create national agricultural code that considers agro-climatic zones, crop types, etc.
• Create comprehensive guide for farming community to ensure effective decision making in agricultural practices.
• Address horizontal aspects of agriculture like SMART farming, sustainability, etc.

Assam has launched a first of its kind unique concept of co-district within a district administration in place of the existing system of civil sub-divisions.

About Co-Districts

• Smaller administrative units below districts headed by an officer of rank of Assistant District Commissioner, having powers and responsibilities similar to those of district commissioners.
• Significance: Decentralizing administration; enhancing governance;  providing citizen-centric services, providing services closer to people, etc.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the inclusion of the first Monkey pox (mpox) In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) kit under its EUL procedure. 

About EUL

• About: Risk-based procedure for assessing and listing unlicensed medical products. 
• Includes three product streams: Vaccines, Therapeutics, and In Vitro Diagnostics. 
• Significance: Global access to products in case of public health emergency, aids countries lacking an elaborate regulatory mechanism. 
• Criteria for Product listing: Covers serious, life threatening diseases; inability of existing products in treatment; product manufactured with set standards, etc. 

Scientists have detected carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on Charon (Pluto's moon) using NASA's James Webb Telescope.

Significance of Findings:

• Understanding the origin of Charon and other moons of Pluto.
• Could help in understanding origins and evolution of icy bodies in the outer Solar System.

About Charon

• It is largest among five moons of Pluto.
• It is so big that Pluto and Charon orbit each other like a double planet.
  • Pluto is a dwarf planet located in a distant region of our solar system beyond Neptune known as the Kuiper Belt

Nine captive-bred pygmy hogs released in Assam's Manas National Park.

About Pygmy Hog

• Habitat: Lives in tall, dense grasslands with shrubs and trees, constructing dome-shaped nests from vegetation.
  • Found in Manas and Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuaries (Assam).
• Characteristics: Smallest and rarest wild suid in world.
  • An indicator species. Its presence reflects health of its primary habitat, tall, wet grasslands of region.
• Behavior: Non-territorial, living in small family groups of 4-5 members.
  • Adult Males are solitary but stay loosely connected to family groups.
• Conservation Status: Endangered (IUCN Red List); Schedule I (Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972). 

Plant cover across Antarctic peninsula is increasing due to climate crisis.

About Greening of Antarctica: 

• It is growth of vegetation e.g. moss on a continent dominated by ice and bare rock due to extreme heat waves. 
  • Warming in the region is happening much faster than global average, accelerating between 2016 and 2021.
• Vegetation has expanded over tenfold between 1986 and 2021.
• Impact
  • Invasive species: Greening may introduce invasive species, and harm local wildlife.
  • Worsen Climate effect: It will reduce the continent’s ability to reflect sunlight (albedo), worsening climate effects.

First batch of pilgrims viewed Mount Kailash (abode of Lord Shiva) from Old Lipulekh pass. 

• Previously, pilgrims had to travel to Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) to view the peak.

About Lipulekh Pass 

• Location: International Mountain pass, above Kalapani valley, forming tri-junction between India, Nepal, and TAR (China). 
  • Situated in Vyas valley, Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand inhabited by Bhutiya people. 
• Significance: Ancient trade and pilgrimage route. 
  • Closed in 1962 by India fearing Chinese incursions and was reopened in 2020.