ICMR and Madras Diabetes Research Foundation MDRF study highlighted that AGEs rich diet is leading cause of diabetes in India.

About AGEs

• Harmful compounds formed when sugars react with fats or proteins during high-temperature cooking (frying/roasting).
• Consumption of AGE-rich ultra-processed and fast-foods can lead to oxidative stress and inflammation (underlying cause of diabetes). 
• Study recommends low-AGE diet (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk) cooked by boiling and steaming for overweight and obese individuals.
  • It leads to improvement in insulin-sensitivity and reduction in inflammatory levels in individual.
  • Insulin sensitivity refers to how well cells respond to insulin for glucose uptake from blood.

Red Panda Program of Darjeeling’s Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoo's has been selected as finalist for 2024 WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums) Conservation Award.

About Red Panda (Sikkim’s State Animal)

• Small arboreal mammals considered an indicator species for ecological change.
• Habitat: Mixed deciduous and conifer forests with dense understories of bamboo.
• Distribution: India (Sikkim, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh), Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, China.
• Characteristics: Skilled climbers; normally solitary but come together in pairs in breeding season; most active during twilight hours of early morning and evening (crepuscular).
• Status: Endangered (IUCN Red list), Schedule I (Wildlife Protection Act, 1972).

The report has been coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

• WMO is a specialized agency of United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation in atmospheric science and meteorology.

Key Findings

• Hydrological extremes: Year 2023 was the hottest year on record.
• Levels of soil moisture were predominantly below or much below normal across large territories globally.
• 2023 was driest year for global rivers  in 33 years.
• Lake Coari in the Amazon faced below-normal water levels, leading to extreme water temperature. 
• Glaciers: Glaciers suffered the largest mass loss ever registered in the last five decades.

British Foreign Secretary affirms that UK’s sovereignty over Falkland Islands and Gibraltar is non-negotiable.

About Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

• It is a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean.
  • Claimed by Argentina.
• Comprises two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland.

About Gibraltar 

• British overseas territory on Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar.
  • Ceded to Britain by Spain under the Treaty of Utrecht (1713).
• Strait of Gibraltar connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa.

Halari Donkeys are considered to be intelligent animals and form close bonds with people, supporting them for transport needs.

About Halari Donkeys

• Native Region: Indigenous to Halar region (Gujarat). Important livestock in semi-arid landscape of Saurashtra’s Jamnagar and Dwarka district, Gujarat. 
• Physical Characteristics: Typically larger and more resilient than other donkey breeds; predominantly white.
• Economic Value: Milk is known for its sweetness, with milk powder fetching over Rs. 7,000 per kg ininternational market and used for cosmetic uses.
• Conservation Efforts: Sahjeevan Trust in collaboration with Animal Husbandry Department of Gujarat government.
  • Their surviving population is fewer than 500. 

India Pavilion at Expo City in Dubai will host first overseas campus of IIFT.

• IIFT will collaborate with Expo City Dubai on research projects and other knowledge-sharing activities focused on sustainability and innovation.

About IIFT

• India’s premier business institution focussing on Foreign Trade and regarded as an academic centre of excellence in international business research, training and education.
• Established in 1963 as an autonomous body under Ministry of Commerce.
• Granted “Deemed to be University” status in 2002. 
• National Assessment and Accreditation Council has recognized IIFT as Grade ‘A’ Institution in 2005 and in 2015.

India participated in 44th Session of CCNFSDU, held in Dresden, Germany.

• India highlighted need to update and harmonize international probiotic regulations.

About CCNFSDU

• It is one of the active Codex Committee. 
• It studies specific nutritional problems assigned to it by Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) and advise CAC on general nutrition issues.
• It drafts general provisions, as appropriate, concerning the nutritional aspects of all foods.

About CAC

• Responsible for all matters regarding implementation of Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. It works in 6 UN language
• Members: 189 including India.

Union Government has set up the Coordination Committee for Air Quality Management in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) region.

• The ten-member panel will work on comprehensive mitigation measures to check air pollution across Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
  • On account of typical geography and meteorology, these states have high baseline levels of air pollution which requires regional airshed management to abate air pollution.
• Coordination Panel has been tasked with integrating state action plans to develop IGP Regional Airshed Management Plan and monitor its implementation.